Aristide lambasts Haitian PM
2004-10-20 21:34
Johannesburg - Deposed Haitian leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide lashed out on Wednesday at the Caribbean island state's interim prime minister, saying Gerard Latortue was "looking for a scapegoat" to blame for an upsurge of violence.
"Latortue crossed the line.
"He unleashed a new torrent of repression in Haiti and is now looking for a scapegoat," Aristide said in a statement issued in South Africa, were he has been living in exile since the end of May.
Aristide's comments came in the wake of an angry South African government rejection on Monday of comments by Latortue.
He said President Thabo Mbeki was allowing Aristide to foment violence in Haiti from his home in exile in Pretoria.
Deputy foreign minister Aziz Pahad said: "The South African government rejects with contempt the attack on the integrity of President Mbeki and dismisses the insinuation that its territory is being used as a springboard by President Jean Bertrand Aristide to destabilise Haiti through violent means.
At least 30 people killed
"No evidence exists to back up the claim that President Aristide is involved in any activities aimed at the destabilisation of Haiti," he said.
Haiti's strife-torn capital came to a standstill on Friday after two weeks of deepening violence in which at least 30 people were killed.
Aristide claimed Latortue had acknowledged on October 1, after demonstrations that turned violent in Port-au-Prince "that he (Latortue) is a killer".
"In a publicly broadcast radio interview about the demonstration he declared: 'We fired on them. Some died, others were wounded and others fled'," said Aristide.
'True dialogue the only solution'
The former leader said the interim prime minister was now "attempting to bury his self-incriminating statements with lies."
Aristide called on Latortue to start paving the way for dialogue to deal with the crisis in the Caribbean state.
"Latortue, stop the lying, stop the killings," he said.
"True dialogue is the only solution... Let us work to bring a tumultuous bicentennial year to a close with a lasting political solution that is imperative to the future of our nation," said Aristide.