HAITI: U.S., CANADIAN AND REGIONAL OFFICIALS ARRIVE FOR TALKS TO END POLITICAL CRISIS.
Record ID:
646669
HAITI: U.S., CANADIAN AND REGIONAL OFFICIALS ARRIVE FOR TALKS TO END POLITICAL CRISIS.
- Title: HAITI: U.S., CANADIAN AND REGIONAL OFFICIALS ARRIVE FOR TALKS TO END POLITICAL CRISIS.
- Date: 22nd February 2004
- Summary: (EU) PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI (FEBRUARY 21, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV/MV/PAN: VARIOUS OF U.S. AMBASSADOR TO HAITI, JAMES FOLEY, ARRIVING TO AIRPORT (3 SHOTS) 0.15 2. VARIOUS: ARMED U.S. SECURITY AT AIRPORT (6 SHOTS) 0.23 3. MV/PAN/GV: UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE UNITED STATES, ROBERT NORIEGA WITH FOLEY LEAVING AIRPORT (3 SHOTS) 1.06 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CANADIAN AMBASSADOR TO HAITI, KENNETH COOK, ARRIVING TO AIRPORT AND SAYING: "I don't think anyone knows what is going to happen in Haiti." 1.13 5. LV: GENERAL VIEW OF CANADIAN DELEGATION, DENIS CODERRE, ARRIVING 1.21 6. GV/PAN: CODERRE ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE 1.30 7. (SOUNDBITE) (French) CODERRE SAYING: "The goal is simple it will be a message of unity and of urgency and above all else it will be a firm message to ensure that we can apply the CARICOM plan. For us, it is clear that we want to work and respect the Haitian Constitution we cannot ask for Aristide's head." 1.54 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CODERRE SAYING: "We want to make sure that we bring back democracy, respects the rights and freedoms of the people of Haiti, we are here to accompany them and we are here to respect the Haitian Constitution." 2.11 9. GV: EXTERIOR OF AIRPORT 2.13 10. MV/CU/PAN: HAITIAN SECURITY OUTSIDE AIRPORT (2 SHOTS) 2.23 11. GV/GV/PAN: ARISTIDE'S HELICOPTER HEADING TOWARDS PALACE (2 SHOTS) 2.31 12. VARIOUS: PREPARATIONS FOR CARNIVAL (7 SHOTS) 2.56 13. (SOUNDBITE) (Creole) UNIDENTIFIED RESIDENT SAYING: "The people of Haiti are very nice. There is a lot of international talk that we are violent. We are not a violent people." 3.08 14. GV: PEOPLE PREPARING FOR CARNIVAL 3.10 (U6) PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (FEBRUARY 21, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 15. GV/PAN: GENERAL VIEW OF OPPOSITION NEWS CONFERENCE 3.16 16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) OPPOSITION LEADER, ANDRES APAID, SAYING: "We believe today, in front of this impasse, the international actors need to listen carefully to the Haitian people not to the guns on both sides but to the Haitian people. Faliure to do so will only reinforce those who come with more violent approaches." 17. MEDIA 18. (SOUNDBITE) (French) APAID SAYING: "We can understand that it is difficult for the international community to demand Aristide's resignation but it has been done before like in Liberia and other countries." 19. MEDIA 20. (SOUNDBITE) (French) APAID SAYING: "Aristide rejects our rights like he does when we demonstrate by attacking us and provoking us. The international community is close to telling him that it will no longer be possible to do that. We have reached the conclusion that elections are not possible with Aristide in power." 4.46 21. GV: NEWS CONFERENCE 4.52 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 8th March 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI
- Country: Haiti
- Reuters ID: LVA6F6CQH9DL4KIU7DS7WJYC0MHI
- Story Text: United States, Canadian and regional officials
arrive in Haiti for talks to help end political crisis.
United States, Canadian and regional officials
arrived in the Haitian capital on Saturday (February 21) to
try to defuse long-simmering tensions that erupted two
weeks ago into a revolt in which more than 50 people have
died.
The diplomatic effort is limited to bringing together
Aristide and the political opposition, rather than the
armed gangs, joined by former soldiers and a death squad
leader, who booted police out of several towns and villages
in the northwest and centre of the poor Caribbean country.
But rebel leaders, who have declared an "independent"
country in the city of Gonaives, the central town of Hinche
and other areas they control, said they were prepared to
take part in a peace process if it met their demands for
Aristide to step down.
The international delegation's proposal is broadly based
on a recent deal brokered by Caricom that calls for a
broad-based advisory council, a new prime minister and the
disarming of gangs aligned with the Lavalas party.
"The goal is simple it will be a message of unity and
of urgency and above all else it will be a firm message to
ensure that we can apply the CARICOM plan. For us, it is
clear that we want to work and respect the Haitian
Consti
tution we cannot ask for Aristide's head," said the
Canadian delegation head, Denis Coderre.
Restored to power by a U.S.-led occupation in 1994 after
being ousted in a coup, Aristide led Haiti into democracy
after decades of dictatorship when first elected in 1990.
He won a second term of office in 2000, but the
presidential elections were boycotted by the opposition
over earlier flawed parliamentary elections.
But the former parish priest now faces accusations of
corruption and political violence.
Overtaking towns by forcing poorly trained and
frightened police to flee, the rebels have presented no
agenda other than giving themselves titles and saying they
aim to take control of the rest of the country and topple
Aristide.
With little sign of a quick fix, the United States and
Canada advised their citizens to leave. Missionaries and
aid workers clogged the airport in the chaotic capital of 2
million people on Friday (February 21).
The Pentagon said a U.S. military team had arrived to
conduct a security assessment for the U.S. Embassy, which
was closed for the five-day Carnival holiday.
Despite the heightened security many Haitians in
Port-au-Prince continued to put the final touches on
preparations for the Carnival.
"The people of Haiti are very nice. There is a lot of
international talk that we are violent. We are not a
violent people," said one resident.
Haiti's opposition leaders continued demanding on Saturday
(February 21) the resignation of embattled president
Jean-Bertrand Aristide as international delegations arrived
to evaluate the political crisis.
Haiti's leading opposition group, Group 184, said
during a news conference that elections were not possible
with Aristide in power.
"Aristide rejects our rights like he does when we
demonstrate by attacking us and provoking us. The
international community is close to telling him that it
will no longer be possible to do that. We have reached the
conclusion that elections are not possible with Aristide in
power," said opposition leader, Andres Apaid.
Restored to power by a U.S.-led occupation in 1994 after
being ousted in a coup, Aristide led Haiti into democracy
after decades of dictatorship when first elected in 1990.
He won a second term of office in 2000, but the
presidential elections were boycotted by the opposition
over earlier flawed parliamentary elections.
As foreign peace efforts got under way, both the
government and the opposition Democratic Platform held
talks with diplomats from the United States, Canada,
France, the Organization of American States and Caribbean
Community (Caricom), on Friday to lay the groundwork for
the higher-level mission on Saturday.
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