Haiti's Aristide won't quit

2004-02-27 17:41

Washington - Haiti's President Jean Bertrand Aristide on Thursday rejected mounting calls to stand down, insisting on CNN television that he would complete his term which ends in February 2006.

With France calling for Aristide to leave office on top of opposition calls for him to be forced out, the former Roman Catholic priest said: "We have had 32 coups d'etat and that is enough."

Rebels have taken about half of the country in an insurrection in the past three weeks that has left at least 70 dead.

The political opposition has carried out a separate peaceful campaign to force Aristide out of office.

The president said the population of the capital was "anxious" about the threat of an attack by the rebels.

He repeated accusations that many of his opponents in the impoverished Caribbean republic were "criminals" and "terrorists", who were involved in more than 5 000 deaths between 1991 and 1994.

"I will leave the palace on February 7 2006, which is good for our democracy," he said.

- AFP