Haiti Observateur editor, Raymond Joseph sends a chilling message to Michel Martelly

DAVOS, Switzerland — Haiti's president is suggesting he might pardon former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, saying reconciliation for his nation is more important than making the man known as "Baby Doc" pay for his bloody rule.


Michel Martelly tells The Associated Press that he will respect the independence of the judge expected to rule within days whether Duvalier should face trial on corruption and human rights violations. Duvalier was driven into exile in 1986 and returned to Haiti a year ago.

But Marthelly suggested in an interview with the AP on Thursday that he has little appetite for a trial that could be explosive for the Caribbean nation, recovering from decades of political turmoil and a devastating earthquake two years ago.