Aristide Warns of Exodus Under Haiti Military Rule

WASHINGTON —  In an oblique warning that failure to restore democracy in Haiti could touch off a new flood of refugees, exiled President Jean-Bertrand Aristide said Wednesday that many of his countrymen stayed home this year because they hoped for an end to the military government.

“Ten months ago we asked the Haitian people to stay in Haiti because we would restore democracy,” Aristide said in talking to reporters after a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus.

Although he did not specifically say that Haitian boat people will again try to flee the impoverished island nation unless military and police leaders allow him to regain power, Aristide left little doubt that he believes hope for the eventual restoration of democracy is holding many of them back.

“We hope with this great support we are getting from the members of the Black Caucus, the members of the Congress and some other people throughout the world; through the U.N. and the OAS (Organization of American States) helping us, we can restore that democracy,” he said.

Under the terms of a peace agreement signed in July by Aristide and Lt. Gen. Raoul Cedras, the army commander, Aristide was to have regained power last Saturday. But Cedras and his supporters refused to honor that agreement.

In Port-au-Prince, U.N. mediator Dante Caputo sought to arrange a new meeting between Aristide’s supporters and the military to revive the July pact signed on Governors Island in New York Harbor. But Cedras balked at reopening talks, and Aristide said his backers are unwilling to compromise.

In an interview with Radio France International, rebroadcast over the Port-au-Prince station Radio Metropole, Aristide said his negotiators will discuss only the timing of a transfer of power to him from the military.

“If it is a question of a dialogue that culminates in respect for the agreement--that is, the departure of Cedras and his high command . . yes, I am interested and ready to participate,” he said. “If it is a question of stalling maneuvers, absolutely no.”

State Department spokesman Mike McCurry said other governments have begun to respond positively to Washington’s call for a worldwide freeze on the bank accounts and other assets of Haitian military leaders and their wealthy civilian supporters.

The United States wants to focus sanctions on the military and its backers because it fears that a broad economic embargo will hit hardest at the nation’s impoverished majority.

But Aristide has called for a total blockade of Haiti until the military agrees to restore democracy.

The U.N. Security Council imposed a ban on petroleum products and weapons last month.

An international task force, led by the U.S. Navy, is enforcing those sanctions.

McCurry said the State Department cabled all embassies last week instructing them to explain the U.S. financial freeze against about 40 Haitians and to urge foreign governments to join in.

“There are other countries that expressed a willingness to cooperate in at least considering the type of sanctions that we have employed. But it would really be up to those individual governments to announce those types of steps themselves,” McCurry said.

Later, a senior State Department official said that Switzerland and Belgium have indicated that they will cooperate. Swiss support would be crucial because of that country’s extensive banking industry.