At year's end, elections were scheduled for March 2000. Independent journalism has made headway since Haiti's return to democracy in 1994, and there are currently no systematic efforts to curb press freedom. But journalists still face danger when reporting on taboo subjects. Joseph noted that in the second half of the year, Haiti-Observateur's distribution was held up for bureaucratic reasons and that a demand for the payment of back taxes was presented, even though publications are tax exempt under Haitian law. Haiti's justice system is dysfunctional, with 80 percent of prisoners awaiting trial at any given time.
Local journalists fill a void by exposing the worst abuses.
If the law isn't being applied, the press can't be neutral. Because of Haiti's low literacy rate, radio serves as the principal news medium, with dozens of FM stations on the air. The country has two major dailies, Le Matin and Le Nouvelliste . In October, these newspapers were joined by the country's first English-language weekly, The Haitian Times . With private-sector support, the Haitian Chamber of Commerce and Industry had organized a rally on the Champs de Mars, a public square, protesting the high local crime rate and demanding more police protection.