27979: jhudicourtb (published) Aristide says vote was for him

[corbetre@webster.edu]

From: JHUDICOURTB@aol.com


The Times
February 22, 2006

Aristide says ally's victory was a vote for his return
>From Jonathan Clayton, in Pretoria
THE ousted Haitian leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide vowed yesterday that he 
would return to Haiti, but maintained that his days as a politician in his 
troubled homeland were over for good.

â??I will be back. Yes, I will be back,â?? he told The Times in his first 
interview since René Préval, his former protégé, was declared President 
last week. â??
I will continue to teach as I did before my first election as President,â?? 
declared the controversial priest turned politician who has been living in 
exile 
in South Africa for almost two years.

M Aristide, 52, who fled Haiti in February 2004 amid a popular revolt, 
avoided giving any hint of a possible time for his return. He said: â??The 
date will 
emerge. It is a process of negotiation. One way to show respect is to listen, 
so I am listening.â??

He said that Haitiâ??s oppressed poor, who have long been his powerbase, had 
voted for M Préval to ensure his return. â??It was a vote for me, of course. 
The 
people said it clearly, people voted the way they did because they want me 
back.
â??

Analysts believe that a return by M Aristide would be deeply destabilising 
and polarising, and would destroy M Prévalâ??s hopes of reaching out to 
Haitiâ??s 
business elite â?? who orchestrated the ousting of the former President â?? 
the 
masses and the international community.

M Aristide, whose rule was blighted by accusations of drug peddling and human 
rights violations, praised his supporters, who poured out of shantytowns to 
vote for M Préval. â??The Haitian people saw the vote as a non-violent way to 
have me back. The result must now be respected,â?? he said.

His said that his expulsion from the country, which he maintains was the 
result of a French and American plot, had simply increased unrest in Haiti.

He added that only his return could provide stability. â??It is a matter of 
dignity. A citizen has the right to go back to his own country, especially 
when 
he has been the victim of a coup dâ??état.â??

However, he emphasised several times that he would not seek a political role. 
â??I always knew that when I was elected my mandate would come to an end. My 
mandate ended and that is that,â?? he said.

He added that his return had the backing of the South African Government, and 
said that he had been in touch with the new President, who served as Prime 
Minister under M Aristide, but declined to give any details of the discussions.

M Aristide said that it was his dream to serve the people in a capacity other 
than that of President, and that his time in South Africa had allowed him to 
reflect on the role played by Nelson Mandela after he left office.

â??Serving people is a dream, even when not in office,â?? he said. He added 
that 
his only goal now was to teach Haitians about their roots and history. â??If 
you are not at peace with yourself, how can you be at peace with others?â?? he 
added.

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