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