Should Economic and Social Rights Trump Civil and Political Rights?
The case of Haiti
Lonège OGISMA, Haiti
Online member of the Rights & Democracy Network
For 20 years in Haiti, gains in terms of civil and political rights have been compromised. The clear cause is the deterioration of economic and social rights. In fact, the sociopolitical problems and acts of vandalism that Haiti experienced from 2000 to 2006 had unprecedented after-effects. To quell acts of vandalism, authorities had to strengthen the controlling forces to consolidate the meagre gains made in terms of civil rights, guarantee economic and social rights, and create a climate of security.
In provincial towns, in the countryside and in the disadvantaged areas of Port-au-Prince, socio-economic conditions are wanting. Just think of the farmers who work without technical assistance (Photo opposite), and of women who, as they carry on trade between the towns, are at the mercy of highway bandits
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These disturbing situations can have an impact on civil rights in different sectors of the Haitian population. In fact, politicians could very easily take advantage of the precarious living conditions of all these people by making empty promises just to get their vote. If this happens in one of the elections planned for 2010, there could be an even longer struggle to establish long-awaited democracy in the country.
The subhuman conditions in Haiti are caused by natural catastrophes that destroy economic infrastructure and by repeated political crises. We also observe a culture of “wait-and-see” among Haitians. In fact, relatively well-educated people have a very short-term view and one eventually comes to the conclusion that they are only waiting for foreign assistance. To the contrary, in the lower echelons, people take up ironworking, carpentry, ambulant food vending, repairing tires, or driving taxi-motos so as to escape destitution.
With respect to civil and political rights, the last elections brought about great anxiety and the low voter turnout has a reason. The fact that large numbers of people did not get out to vote is a sign of dissatisfaction with the actions taken by elected authorities to raise their standards of living. At the end of the day, the people did not mandate those who are running the affairs of state today: yet one more hurdle for the young democracy, which, even so, must be strengthened.
In some very poor areas, people are showing great resourcefulness, while in others, utter destitution has taken hold. On one hand, children who should be in school must work to meet their needs; on the other, family planning education for women is almost inexistent and the right to abortion is not guaranteed.
These worrisome situations may jeopardize the advances that the country has made with respect to political rights over the past 20 years. To strengthen these rights, government authorities would be well advised to make investments to guarantee essential needs (food and nutrition, health, education and employment) throughout the country to free the people in the countryside and in the slums from the grip of certain political figures who only use them to attain power.
[This article does not necessarily reflect the views of the Network or Rights & Democracy]
