Haiti rivals launch peace talks

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, March 05, 2004

Haiti rivals launch peace talks

The first meeting between a commission of the Haitian government and the opposition members was launched Thursday aimed at solving the political crisis in theCaribbean country, while US and French troops began their foot patrols in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, reports reaching here said.

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First step taken to resolve crisis in Haiti

The three-party meeting, made up of one government member, one member from the opposition and one from the United Nations, would choose a seven-seat council of "wise men" that will name a new prime minister and government.

The meeting was held at the Organization of American States offices in the Port-au-Prince and the OAS said "it is expected that the work of a tripartite council will proceed very rapidly and the process will finish in less than one week."

Sporadic gunfire still echoed in the streets of the capital, but the city was generally calm after days of turbulence that leftmany killed and wounded.

The process was backed internationally. Many countries hope themeeting will move quickly to get a strong Haitian government in place.

Leslie Voltaire, the minister for Haitians abroad in the Aristide government, Paul Denis, a former opposition senator, and Adama Guindo, the UN Development Program coordinator in Haiti, participated in Thursday's meeting.

More than 120 Chilean troops arrived there to contribute to themultinational force for Haiti. They are seen by the local population as an element of stability and security.

Foreign troops have been arriving in Haiti since former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide resigned last Sunday in the face of US pressure and a rebel uprising.

The UN Security Council authorized a US-led multinational forceto go immediately into Haiti to restore order over the next three months, after which a broad UN peacekeeping operation would take over.

US, French troops begin foot patrols

As Thursday's meeting was moving on, US and French troops gathered at the presidential palace where they met with Haitian police for their first walking patrols into the city's streets.

About 2,000 US, French and Canadian troops have been sent to the chaotic and impoverished Caribbean state to restore peace and social order as soon as possible.

Citizens loitered in the square outside the palace gates, watching the gunned and uniformed foreign soldiers with indifference. Many fear that unrest may come back once foreign troops depart.

There was scattered applause from the onlookers as about 100 troops and police left the compound and snaked block-by-block through the city center without incident.

More foreign troops are expected to enter Haiti as more countries have agreed to giving a hand to Haitians in face of a critical situation.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Tuesday thathis country would send troops to Haiti in three months when the stabilization phase begins.

While the Argentine government "will send some 200 military effectives" to Haiti, but "for the moment the decision won't be officially announced," said an Argentine daily, La Nacion.

It said that "the decision was taken with Brazil" but the implementation of the action needs the "authorization of the Congress."

Aristide wishes to return home

The ousted President Aristide said in the Central African capital of Bangui that he wished to return to Haiti, a Haitian radio station in Port-au-Prince reported.

Aristide said he was not officially resigned as the president and hoped he could return to his homeland.

Aristide also blamed France for acting as an accomplice to the United States in "kidnapping" him out of Haiti.

In a telephone interview with the Cable News Network on Monday,Aristide denied he stepped down out of his own will. He accused the United States of forcing him out of office in a "coup d'etat."

He also claimed someone made changes to his resignation letter,thus turning it into a fake document.

The White House and Pentagon dismissed allegations that Aristide was kidnapped by US forces eager for him to resign and flee into exile.

The US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said "Aristide departed voluntarily to spare his country further violence."

"There is nothing to investigate," the spokesman said. "There was no kidnapping, there was no coup, there were no threats."

The Haitian crisis was triggered on Feb. 5 when anti-governmentmilitants took control of the country's fourth-largest city of Gonaives to oust Aristide.

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