Executive

Neptune Cuts Ties with Fanmi Lavalas, Doubts Aristide Was Kidnapped

The Former Prime Minister for Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Yvon Neptune has apparently cut ties with the Fanmi Lavalas (FL) party in what has been described as a scathing correspondence. Neptune insinuated that the former president resigned from the presidency rather than got kidnapped in 2004.

In a letter to the party's national representative, Aristide, Yvon Neptune said he had been exploited by the political party, that was founded in 1991. Neptune said that in his 14 years of service he was exploited by his subordinates who were manipulated by power and money while only posing as "apostles of the change and the inclusion of the poor majority.

In speaking of the Former President Jean Bertrand-Aristde, Neptune said he has neither a "sense of animoisty" nor "grudge" against him. But in an interview with Le Nouvelliste on Tuesday, Neptune said he felt it unacceptable that all the powers of the party were concetrated in the hands of the former president.

According to Le Nouvelliste , Neptune said, "Jean-Bertrand Aristide centralizes all the power. There is no democracy and compliance with the standards within Fanmi Lavalas, like the image portrayed in the streets."

Neptune continued and said that he has "always told the national representative [Aristide] that the provisions provided in the party's charter must be implemented."

Until the departure of Aristide on February 29, 2004, the party never had departmental coordination only national coordination, which is not what the charter requires, cited Mr. Neptune.

"Fanmi Lavalas has made the Congress! How can we have a Congress without the existence of a course capped national coordination by the national representative?", asked Yvon Neptune.

Betrayal?

"Obviously people who accused me of all sorts of things, including of having betrayed Jean - Bertrand Aristide in 2004, have done with the consent of the latter." Jean-Bertrand Aristide sent messages at the end of each year. "He could tell people to stop saying this because it does not do honour to me or him", explained Mr. Neptune, adding that "Jean - Bertrand Aristide knows that what these people tell is archi-faux".

On the topic of whether Aristide fled or was kidnapped in 2004, Neptune said "It's not for me to say," said Yvon Neptune, indicating that he chose to remain in the country and remain the Prime Minister out of respect for his own principles.

"The note signed by Jean - Bertrand Aristide does me had not been given by him. It is for him to say that he gave this note and in what situation," added Mr. Neptune, who points out that "Mr. Aristide, apart from saying that he was kidnapped, has never denied having signed this note in Creole, in which he said that he preferred to leave the country to avoid bloodshed."

"It's the President of the Court of cassation, Mr. Boniface Alexandre, who came to the Prime Minister with the décachetée envelope, containing the note" revealed later M.Neptune, who said he had a telephone conversation with Jean-Bertrand Aristide in the aftermath of the 29 February 2004, after his arrival in Central African Republic.

Was Aristide not the victim of a coup?

"May be resignation and coup d'etat at the same time," Neptune told the paper. "It's Jean-Bertrand Aristide who must reconcile the issue: kidnapped or resignation."

Mr. Neptune handed in his resignation less than a month since the return of the former President and national representative of Fanmi Lavalas, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, March 18, 2011.

Will the resignation and revelations of Mr. Yvon Neptune will establish the historical truth about the events of February 29, 2004? New facts will tell... - Roberson Alphonse, Le Nouvelliste

Source: Le Nouvelliste