12963: Aug 28 - 2002 BRIEFING STATE DEPT (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Stanley  Lucas <slucas@iri.org>

QUESTION: Richard, does the US have a plan for transition in the
Haitian Government that involves, as its first step, the removal of
President Aristide?

MR. BOUCHER: I think there have been some charges down there that
we'll look into, whatever this is that is being talked about. But I
think I can make clear, absolutely clear from a policy point of view
what we have said, what the embassy in Haiti has said repeatedly: We
don't support the removal of any democratically elected leader. We and
our partners in the Organization of American States are working
cooperatively towards securing an environment that's conducive to the
holding of free and fair elections in Haiti. And that has been the
goal of our policy and the efforts that we've been engaged in.

QUESTION: So the answer's no?

MR. BOUCHER: The answer is not supporting the removal of
democratically elected leaders.

QUESTION: Does the United States have some kind of a plan for a
transition government in Haiti?

MR. BOUCHER: The plan for Haiti is to work with the OAS, to work with
the Haitian Government, to have elections that are truly free and fair
where the Haitian people can decide on their government.

QUESTION: You're talking about the senate elections, right? The
disputed senate elections?

MR. BOUCHER: The disputed senate elections, and then further, in the
democratic process in the future.