Haiti's government falls after food riots
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Haiti's government fell onSaturday when senators fired the prime minister after more thana week of riots over food prices, ignoring a plan presented bythe president to slash the cost of rice.
Sixteen of 17 senators at a special session voted againstPrime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis, an ally President RenePreval placed at the head of a coalition cabinet in June 2006that was meant to unite the fractious Caribbean nation.
The move by opposition senators was seen as a serious butnot crushing blow to Preval, whose 2006 election brought ameasure of calm to the poorest country in the Americas as itsearched for political stability after decades of dictatorship,military rule and economic mayhem.
The clash with senators came after the president of thecountry of 9 million people -- most of whom earn less than $2(1.01 pounds) a day -- managed to persuade rioters to end aweek of violence in which at least five people were killed.
Stone-throwing crowds began battling U.N. peacekeepers andHaitian police in the south on April 2, enraged at the soaringcost of rice, beans, cooking oil and other staples.
The unrest spread this week to the capital, Port-au-Prince,bringing the sprawling and chaotic city to a halt as mobs tookover the streets, smashing windows, looting shops, setting fireto cars and hurling rocks at motorists.
U.N. troops, stationed in Haiti since Jean-BertrandAristide was ousted as president in a revolt in 2004, firedtear gas and rubber bullets on several occasions to disperseprotesters.
On Saturday a Nigerian U.N. peacekeeper was shot to deathnear the main Catholic cathedral in downtown Port-au-Prince,close to the large and often violent slum of Bel-Air, a Haitianpolice officer and U.N. commander said.
The circumstances of the shooting were unclear and the cityappeared largely tranquil. Three Sri Lankan peacekeepers werestruck by bullets on Thursday but were not seriously injured.
MANY HAITIANS WELCOME OUSTER
"Now it's my turn to play," Preval said when he was told byjournalists of the Senate vote shortly after he and privatesector leaders unveiled a plan to cut the cost of a sack ofrice to $43 from $51.
Three dollars of the price cut would be paid for bybusinesses and the rest by international donors, he said.
Preval said he would ask parliament to pick a new primeminister. Alexis was seen as a pragmatist and dealmaker, andalso served as prime minister during Preval's first term aspresident from 1996 to 2001.
Many Haitians seemed to welcome the ouster of Alexis.
"When he was prime minister, he did nothing to lower thehigh cost of living. I hope things will change with a new primeminister," said Jean Pierre Jean-Baptiste, 29, an electrician.
Sen. Youri Latortue, a nephew of a former prime ministerand leader of Saturday's vote, said Alexis had failed to rampup food production, protect people against crime, heed calls toestablish a new national security force and set a deadline forthe U.N. troops to leave.
'EVERYONE HAS TO MAKE A SACRIFICE'
Disturbances over high food prices have broken out inseveral poor countries, primarily in Africa. Record oil prices,rising demand for food in Asia, the use of farmland and cropsfor biofuels and other factors such as market speculation havepushed up food prices worldwide.
"The situation is difficult everywhere around the world,everyone has to make a sacrifice," Preval said on Saturday ashe announced the plan to cut rice prices in a room adorned withcrystal chandeliers and thick drapes at the National Palace.
Preval reiterated that Haiti could not afford to cut taxeson food because it needed the revenue to pay for longer-termprojects that create jobs and boost agriculture.
It was unclear whether the price cut would satisfyprotesters.
"It has not been lowered enough," said a young man whoidentified himself only as Givens. "If they don't further lowerthe price I think people are going to protest more. There willbe problems, more unrest. Even the National Palace could be seton fire because we are in trouble."
(Additional reporting by Jean Valme; Writing by MichaelChristie; Editing by Xavier Briand)
(For more stories on global food price rises, please seehttp://www.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/agflation)