[News] Haitian President Aristide critical of Latortue

[News at freedomarchives.org]

ARISTIDE SAYS ONLY DIALOGUE WILL END HAITI MAYHEM

Source: REUTERS

20 Oct 2004 18:26:32 GMT

By John Chiahemen


JOHANNESBURG, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Exiled former Haitian President 
Jean-Bertrand Aristide on Wednesday angrily denied accusations he was 
fomenting violence in his homeland and accused
Haiti's interim leader of brutally suppressing dissent.

Gang and political violence has killed more than 50 Haitians in the past 
two weeks.


"Latortue, stop the lying, stop the killings," Aristide said in a statement 
from
South Africa directed at Prime Minister Gerard Latortue.


"True dialogue is the only solution (in Haiti). With the lives of millions 
at stake, public officials must act responsibly," he said in the statement, 
faxed to Reuters in Johannesburg


Aristide has been in Pretoria since May after he was forced into exile in 
February in what
he says was a U.S.-engineered coup.


The statement was his first public reaction to Latortue's blistering attack 
last Sunday in
which he accused South African President Thabo Mbeki of allowing Aristide 
to direct a violent campaign by his supporters in the Caribbeancountry.


Latortue repeated the charges on Monday, telling Reuters: "President Thabo 
Mbeki has not made enough effort to prevent Aristide from using the South 
African hospitality to destabilize Haiti."


Aristide did not address the allegations against him directly, but fired 
his own salvo against
the prime minister.


He said Latortue had admitted in an Oct. 1 broadcast that security forces 
had fired on demonstrators. "De facto prime minister Gerard Latortue 
acknowledged that he is a killer,"
Aristide said.


"We fired on them. Some died, others were wounded, and others fled," he 
quoted Latortue as
saying in the broadcast.


COUNTER CHARGES


Aristide also accused Latortue of fomenting unrest "in allowing soldiers of 
the disbanded brutal army to take charge and remain in charge of entire 
areas of the country and his sanctioning of their use of violence."


"During these past eight months thousands of Haitians have been killed in 
defense of democratic principles," he said.


The South African government, which continues to recognize Aristide as 
Haiti' rightful president, on Monday dismissed Latortue's accusations 
against Mbeki.


"South Africa and indeed President Mbeki cannot be used as a scapegoat for 
failure by the Interim Haitian Authorities to bring about peace and stability,"

Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said in a prepared statement read on 
national television.

South Africa gave Aristide refuge after he was deposed, a move Pahad said 
was agreed with
Caribbean bloc Caricom in consultation with the United Nations,United 
States and Haiti's former colonial ruler France.

Latortue's comments reignited domestic opposition to Aristide's stay in South

Africa, and two opposition parties called for an investigation into whether 
he was indeed inciting violence in Haiti from the safety of South Africa.


*******
Forwarded by the Haitian Lawyers Leadership
*******

"Men anpil chay pa lou"  is Kreyol for - "Many hands make light a heavy load."

SEE:

The Haitian Leadership Networks'  7 "men anpil chay palou" campaigns to 
help restore Haiti's independence, the will of the mass electorate and the 
rule of law.

SEE:

<http://www.margueritelaurent.com/pressclips/haitianlawyers.html>http://www.margueritelaurent.com/pressclips/haitianlawyers.html; 

http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaigns.html

SEE:

Haitiaction.net



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