[R-G] Aristide Supporters March in Haiti

[Anthony Fenton]

Aristide Supporters March in Haiti

Sunday July 15, 2007 10:16 PM


By STEVENSON JACOBS

Associated Press Writer

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (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.