22308: Esser: US, France behind coup, says Aristide (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com
 
South African Broadcasting Corporation
http://www.sabcnews.com
 
June 07, 2004

US, France behind coup, says Aristide

Jean Betrand Aristide, the deposed Haitian leader, has accused the US
government and other European countries of being behind the coup
which saw him being removed. Aristide says he is still convinced that
the US and France provided funds to political parties and NGOs to
oust him.

However, despite this he wants relations between his country and the
US and France to be normalised. Aristide left his country in February
after a violent uprising, and was escorted to the Central African
Republic by the US government. The ousted leader spoke out for the
first time today about the situation in his country since his arrival
in South Africa last week. He addressed a media briefing at the Union
Buildings in Pretoria.

Aristide says for some time, millions of dollars have been flowing
into Haiti which sponsored the coup. He says this money was used to
finance thugs who organised the demonstrations. He says there were
also peaceful demonstrations in Haiti celebrating the country's
independence.

Aristide believes that the coup was all about economics, just like
the slave trade was all about money. He says there were many in his
country who did not support the democratic process and were happy to
see an unstable Haiti. He referred to a wealthy family who were
controlling the economy. Aristide also likened the situation in Haiti
to Iraq and says the environment was not conducive to hold free and
fair elections. He says US soldiers were committing atrocities.

Aristide says he cannot participate in an election, given the current
environment in Haiti. He says Haiti, like other countries, must enjoy
democracy. He says even though Haiti is a poor country, they are not
asking for bread first but rather democracy. He says there are
Haitians who want him to return.

He says he will contest next year's elections in his country when the
international community manages to get the poll going. The ousted
leader says while in South Africa he will not be organising any
political activity to get back to Haiti. He says he is busy writing a
book about Haiti's 200 years of independence.
.