Ja: OAS puts off on Haiti

BRIDGETOWN -The Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States (OAS) has postponed a special session which was expected to assess the state of constitutional governance in Haiti, yesterday.

The special session was requested by the Caribbean Community (Caricom), which is seeking an independent probe into the circumstances surrounding the sudden departure from office of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on February 29.

Informed ministerial and diplomatic sources told the Observer that "diplomatic footwork" was taking place to frustrate the special session, though there was no indication of Caricom abandoning its initiative.

Antigua and Barbuda, which currently holds the chairmanship of the 15-member regional grouping, had sent the request to the OAS on May 13 for the special session on the Community's behalf.

Anybody wants to take a bet that this meeting won't be called until possibly the turn of the new year? Elections are supposed to be held in Haiti next year. Is the OAS likely to want to become involved in Caricom's anti-U.S. vendetta? Dream on.