U.S. Urges Aristide to Agree to Haiti Plan for Coalition Rule

The Clinton Administration, clearly running out of patience, Tuesday called on ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to accept a new proposal by members of the Haitian Parliament to install a coalition government as a step toward restoring democracy.

State Department spokesman Mike McCurry chided Aristide, who lives in exile in Washington’s Georgetown neighborhood, for refusing even to meet with members of Parliament who came to Washington last week pushing a proposal for a broad-based government that would include some of Aristide’s political opponents.

“The United States certainly hopes that President Aristide would meet promptly with the delegation of democratically elected Haitian officials and enter substantive discussions with them on what is clearly a concrete and serious proposal,” McCurry said.

Aristide replied that he held extensive meetings with the Parliament members, but he conceded that he had refused to discuss the proposal with them.

“It is unclear that these parliamentarians speak for their institution or command sufficient support to promote any specific proposal,” Aristide said. “Whatever political vacuum that may exist in Haiti is due to the fear pervading the country because of the military oppression.”

Rep. Joseph Kennedy (D-Mass.), a friend of Aristide, warned that the parliamentarians’ proposal may “enable the Clinton Administration . . . to skirt the challenge of restoring Aristide.” He said the plan is flawed because “it does not offer a concrete strategy for Aristide’s return.”

At the same time, the United States, France, Venezuela and Canada have begun circulating a draft resolution at the United Nations to tighten economic sanctions against Haiti’s military regime.

The developments underlined the ambivalence of the Administration’s attitude toward Haiti. Officially, it supports the restoration of Aristide. In private, however, many officials say that Aristide, who was overthrown in September, 1991, is so politically radical that the military and the island’s affluent elite will never allow him to return to power.

McCurry insisted that the ultimate objective is to allow Aristide to regain office. But he made it clear that Washington is growing weary of the exiled leader.

When asked if Aristide lacks the flexibility necessary to reach an agreement that would allow him to return to the island, McCurry replied, “I didn’t say that.”

“Would you?” he was asked.

“No,” McCurry said. “Not now.”

“When?”

“We’ll see,” McCurry said.