22056: (Chamberlain) Air fare dispute keeps Aristide in Jamaica (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

     KINGSTON, Jamaica, May 25 (Reuters) - Deposed Haitian President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide appears ready to go into exile in South Africa and
will leave the Caribbean just as soon as it is decided who will pay his air
fare, a Jamaican official said on Tuesday.
     South Africa and Jamaica are at loggerheads over who should foot the
travel bill for Aristide, his family and his bodyguards, said the official,
who spoke on condition of anonymity.
     Aristide has been staying in Jamaica since March 15 and South Africa
agreed to grant him temporary exile earlier this month.
     "Talks between both governments are continuing and other things are
being sorted out, including where the Aristides will live, which school the
children will attend and how many bodyguards should accompany him," the
source said.
     Aristide left Haiti during an armed revolt on Feb. 29 and was flown to
the Central African Republic on a flight arranged by the United States. He
traveled to Jamaica on a privately arranged jet for a visit Jamaica's prime
minister said would last up to 10 weeks, a period that ended on Monday.
     The government official said Jamaica asked South Africa to bear the
cost of Aristide's travel, since Jamaica had already spent huge sums
accommodating him at a government guest house near Kingston.
     "There is huge cost involved in his travel to South Africa," the
source said. "It would be easier to charter an aircraft and fly directly to
South Africa, stopping maybe once to refuel. But it would be less costly if
Aristide, his family and bodyguards were to fly to London by commercial
aircraft and then connect to South Africa."