Haitians march for exiled President Aristide

~~Adz:Right~~PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – THOUSANDS of Haitians marched into the Haitian capital and other cities on Tuesday (Dec. 16) to celebrate the first election of former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide and to call for his return from exile in South Africa.

According to Caribbean Net News, the demonstrations were monitored by police and United Nations peacekeepers at all times and ended with calls to Prèval to keep the promise he made two years ago to let Aristide return to Haiti.

“We want our leader to come back to his country. He's the only one who cares about our situation. It's Aristide we want and not [President René Prèval],” chanted a group of young persons holding banners over their heads.

“We voted for Prèval because he promised to bring back Aristide,” shouted another demonstrator.

A populist former Roman Catholic Priest, Aristide was first elected in 1990 only to be ousted in a military coup in 1991. He returned to power in 1994 through a US military intervention.

Aristide’s second presidency was marred by tension over the 2000 elections, which was boycotted by opposition parties.

Tension boiled over in early 2004 with an armed uprising that forced Aristide to flee Haiti.

Ever since, he has lived in South Africa with his wife and two daughters.