30753: (news) Chamberlain: Haiti-Aristide Protest (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

   By STEVENSON JACOBS

   PORT-AU-PRINCE, July 15 (AP) -- Supporters of exiled former President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide marched through Haiti's capital on Sunday, demanding
the ousted leader's return and accusing President Rene Preval of turning
his back on his one-time ally.
   Chants of "Preval is a traitor!" and "Bring Aristide home!" rose up as
more than 1,000 protesters marched from the Port-au-Prince slum of Bel-Air
to the heavily guarded National Palace, Preval's official residence.
   "We helped Preval get in power and now he has turned his back on us. We
still love Aristide and we want him home," Erick LeBon said during the
march, which was called to mark Aristide's 54th birthday.
   A former slum priest-turned-president, Aristide was toppled during a
2004 rebel uprising. He was flown out of the country aboard a U.S.-supplied
jet and later accused the United States of kidnapping him in a coup -- a
charge Washington denies.
   Currently exiled in South Africa, Aristide has said he wants to return
to Haiti but that the timing depends on Preval, his former prime minister
and political protege.
   Preval, a champion of the poor overwhelmingly elected last year with
help from Aristide supporters, has said Haiti's constitution allows
Aristide to return but has not taken steps to bring him back. The two men
are no longer close and reportedly have not spoken in years.
   No disturbances were reported during Sunday's protest, monitored by
blue-helmeted U.N. peacekeepers and Haitian police.
   Aristide supporters periodically hold street marches calling for his
return, but the events attract far fewer people since the departure last
year of an unpopular U.S.-backed interim government appointed to replace
Aristide.