Haiti hit by new anti-government demonstrations

Monday, January 19, 2004

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): New anti-government protests in the Haitian capital on Sunday left at least three people wounded, hospital sources and witnesses said.

Several thousand people took part in a rally against President Jean Bertrand Aristide, which came ahead of talks in the Bahamas on Tuesday between representatives of the Haitian opposition and Caribbean leaders.

Two students returning from the demonstration were hit by shotgun pellets fired by masked attackers in a car. They were taken to a hospital in Port-au-Prince which reported the injuries.

Another man was also wounded by men driving around the city in a car and taken to a nearby hospital.

Aristide supporters fired guns during the demonstration and anti-riot police fired back to protect the rally, witnesses said. Two people were seen being detained.

The demonstration was called by the Democratic Platform, a coalition of opposition parties and groups which have demanded Aristide resign, accusing him of corruption and mismanagement.

Members of the coalition are to take part in the talks in Nassau on Tuesday between the Haitian opposition and Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders on the crisis in the impoverished republic.

Andre Apaid, one of the Democratic Platform leaders, said at the demonstration that "Caribbean has been badly informed about the situation in Haiti."

The delegates "will give information to the Caribbean heads of state about the situation in Haiti and why they are demanding that President Aristide resign."

Efforts by the Organisation of American States have already failed to end the standoff between the government and opposition and Aristide, who still has two years of a five-year term to serve. Aristide last week promised elections within six months but did not set a firm date. 

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