Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies

Haiti: Government and Politics
opportunity to experience democracy as a slow and difficult
process, especially in a context such as Haiti's, and not as a sudden
elixir to eliminate problems. Between 1991 and 1994,
when Haitians suffered painful setbacks to the fitful process of
political change they had been able to put in motion, their
commitment to what remained largely an abstraction was profoundly
tested. Regardless of varying perceptions of what
democracy was or would be, Haiti's people stood firm behind
their commitment to it.
Since the 1994 restoration of democratic governance, Haiti's
experience with the democratic process has deepened, but the
results have disappointed many. Although voters have shown
thus far a penchant for denying new candidates or those standing
for re-election who appear susceptible to the deeply
ingrained political role models of the past, fewer and fewer are
voting; participation in elections has declined precipitously
with each election. Voter disenchantment with the results of
those exercises is a key factor contributing to the growing apathy.
In spite of their participation in the process, few Haitians
have seen improvement in their economic conditions. Indeed,
most have seen their quality of life worsen as they witness,
instead, titanic political struggles among factions in parliament
and between the executive and legislative branches. As long as
Haiti's democratic process fails to produce political results that
can bring tangible improvements in overall and individual wellbeing
to Haiti's citizens, it will remain fragile, nascent, and susceptible
to setbacks.
The Mass Media and the Spread of Information
The mass media in Haiti expanded rapidly between the
1950s and the 1990s, with radio leading the way. The transistor
radio brought news and information to previously isolated
rural areas. Joining state-owned radio during the Duvalier years
were stations established by private entrepreneurs and by Protestant
missionaries and the Roman Catholic Church. The latter's
station, Radio Soleil, which emphasized educational
broadcasts, played an important role in the fall ofJean-Claude
Duvalier in 1986. Following that event, the approximately two
dozen radio stations broadcasting in Haiti, at least half of which
operated from Port-au-Prince, became the principal source of
information on breaking political developments through their
use of mobile units equipped for direct broadcast. Stations also
became the venue used by political leaders and activists to issue
441