Ja: Jamaica Observer issues a warning to Haiti

The warning: Caricom's foot up Haiti's rear end unless both parties act civilized and democratically.

A week ago, after Caribbean Community leaders had wrung concessions out of Haiti's president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, about the future conduct of his government to political reform and democracy, this newspaper argued that the route to the return to stability in that country could not be a one-way street.

We still hold that view.

Indeed, Caricom's leaders must exert pressure on the Haitian opposition to act responsibly and warn that should they persist in a process that undermines the regional peace initiatives and the process towards democracy in Haiti, any emergent government will not be easily welcomed into the councils of Caricom.

This is an important stament to be made on the editorial pages of the newspaper of an important Caricom country. There's a great deal of doubt whether the Haitians are listening. They should be.