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Wednesday, August 4, 2004
Thousands of supporters of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide are calling for his return while supporting John Kerrys bid for the U.S. presidency. The demonstrators believe Kerry-the Massachusetts Senator and Democratic nominee will return Aristide to the troubled Caribbean nation-if he is elected in November. Supporters claim Aristide who was forced into exile by the U.S. in February will not return if President Bush is re-elected. Aristide was ousted in 1991, when Bush's father was president. He returned in 1994-under democratic President-Bill Clinton. He assumed the presidency again in 2001 but was forced to flee the country in an armed revolt in which more than 200 people were killed. Haitian supporters are counting on a victory from Kerrys democratic campaign to ensure the return of the exiled President. During a New York Times interview in March, Kerry stated-if he had been president he would have sent an international force to protect Aristide- and criticized the Bush administration for talking about supporting democratically elected leaders while pushing Aristide from power.
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