I am still president, says Aristide

Former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide is flanked by his wife, Mildred (left) and US Congresswoman Maxine Waters as he leaves yesterday's press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston. Delano Franklyn, state minister for foreign affairs, is immediately behind Mrs Aristide. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

OUSTED Haitian leader Jean Bertrand Aristide left Jamaica yesterday for exile in South Africa, indicating that he still considers himself president, and promising to return to Haiti after a temporary stay in Africa.

"It will now be our temporary home, until we are back in Haiti," Aristide said in a prepared statement he read at yesterday's pre-departure press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston.
"There is one elected president of Haiti. There is no two. Thank you," he responded to a question as to whether he still considered himself president.

The former president did not say how soon he expected to return to Haiti, but listed as a condition for his return a restoration of peace through democratic order.
Aristide accused a "combination of forces" of destroying democracy in his country and likened the situation there to that in Iraq.

"What we have in Haiti today may remind us of what we have in Iraq. The issue is you haveapictures from Iraq and you may not have from Haiti, but when you compare these two countries it will shock and you suffer with those suffering," he said. He added that it was unfortunate that not as many people were not talking about Haiti as those talking about Iraq.

Aristide told journalists that he was democratically elected as president and the people expected him to serve five years, following which "fair, free and democratic elections" would be held. However, he said that currently his supporters were being killed and bagged in Haiti and their bodies thrown into the sea.

"How can they be talking about elections when they don't respect the rights of someone to say how he feels?" he responded to a question on whether he was looking forward to early elections in Haiti.
He said that the "coup" was aimed at silencing the Haitian people and destroying his Lavalas party so that his supporters would not be able to participate.

"It's day and night when you compare what you have today in Haiti, to what you had when I was in Haiti," he added.
Aristide described former rebel leaders Guy Phillipe and Louis-Jodel Chamblain as well known drug dealers and convicts now being paraded to the world as freedom fighters.

He said that among the Haitians who have fled to Jamaica were some who had suffered from the violence against his supporters, including the burning down of their homes.
However, he urged his supporters in Haiti not to fall for the temptation to "use violence against those using violence to keep them silent". But, he said that they should be allowed to continue to peacefully demonstrate their right to talk.

Aristide was flown from Haiti on a US aircraft on February 29 amid a growing rebellion against his government. He was taken to the Central African Republic where he declared that he had been forcefully removed from office. He arrived in Jamaica on March 15 on a 10-week visit while preparations were being made for what was expected to be permanent exile.

He was reluctant to go into details about his alleged forced removal as well as his plans to return home, constantly referring to a book he has written since arriving in Jamaica, in which he said details of some of his experiences would be revealed.
"Please be patient. The book is on its way and will bring the full answers: What happened, how it hapened and so on. Be Patient," he urged journalists.

Aristide also denied charges of corruption and drug dealing. He reiterated that he had no plans to leave his country voluntarily, and that he left without any money and described as "totally false" allegations that he plundered Haiti's wealth during his tenure.
"Totally, totally false," he responded. He said that his regime had dedicated itself to reducing the level of drugs transhipped through Haiti to the United States and was responsble for the volume dropping from 15 per cent to eight per cent of the total amount passing through the region. He said that this was confirmed by the US embassy in Haiti.

"We didn't know we were leaving Haiti on February 29, so we left Haiti without money," Aristide said about the financing of his trips. "We were fortunate to have a government here helping us as we are fortunate to have the government of South Africa sending a plane."
He said that his family did not have money to pay for their stay, "once again we want to say thanks to all those who made it possible".

The ousted Haitian leader left the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel shortly after noon for the Norman Manley International Airport at the head of a fleet of government and diplomatic vehicles. He was accompanied by his wife, two children, US Congresswoman Maxine Waters and South African High Commission to Jamaica Henry Chiliza.
The party travelling to South Africa included Minister of state for foreign affairs and foreign trade, Senator Delano Franklyn and two Caricom representatives below ministerial rank.

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