Highlights of the internationally backed peace plan for Haiti

Roger Noriega (3R), Washington's top US diplomat for 
the Americas, meets with members of the Haitian 
opposition (R) 21 February 2004 in Port-au-Prince
AFP PHOTO/POOL/JAIME RAZURI

Sunday, February 22, 2004

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): The following are the main points of an internationally backed peace plan for violence- wracked Haiti to which embattled President Jean-Bertrand Aristide has agreed but is being resisted by his political foes because it stops short of the leader's ouster.

The opposition has agreed to a Monday deadline to give a final response to the proposal which is aimed at ending an increasingly turbulent two-year-old political crisis which has been complicated by the emergence this month of an armed insurgency also demanding Aristide's removal.

The power-sharing plan, which is backed by the United States, Canada, France, the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Caribbean Community (Caricom), pointedly excludes the rebels who are threatening to oust Aristide by force should he not depart.

Should the political opposition agree to the proposal it would:

• Allow Aristide, who has repeatedly rejected calls for his resignation, remain in office until the completion of his current term in February 2006 but with significantly less authority than he now holds.

• Create a three-person council -- with members representing Aristide, the opposition and the international community -- that would set up a seven-strong advisory commission to select a new, independent prime minister and government.

• Give control of a revamped, internationally trained and supervised police force to the new prime minister who would oversee the disarmament of the rebels and armed gangs loyal to Aristide's Lavalas Family political party that have attacked and intimidated the opposition.

• Provide for free and fair parliamentary elections to be held at an early date as well as internationally accepted presidential polls to choose Aristide's successor.

• Set a March 26 deadline for "progress" in implementing the plan to be presented to a meeting of Caricom ministers set for that date in Antigua.

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