Haiti’s Parliament OKs Amnesty, Paving the Way for Aristide’s Return : Caribbean: The 9-to-1 vote by the Senate turns up the pressure on Cedras to step down. The decision is a face-saving device for leaders of the junta.

The Haitian Senate hastily approved an expansion of the nation’s amnesty law Friday, increasing pressure on army chief Lt. Gen. Raoul Cedras to resign and paving the way for the return of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

In a deal with the United States, Cedras had pledged to leave if Parliament approved a general amnesty or by Oct. 15, whichever came first. A copy of the provision was sent by fax to Aristide for his signature, and it will become law when it is published here Monday.

The measure allows the ousted president to pardon the generals who overthrew him not only for political misdeeds but for other crimes. The lower chamber of Parliament overwhelmingly approved the amendment to an existing amnesty law on Thursday.

Senior U.S. officials said they were examining whether the measure meets the requirements of the Sept. 18 U.S.-Haitian agreement that was to culminate with Cedras’ resignation.

It also wasn’t known if Cedras considered the bill the general amnesty he had sought. But a source close to Cedras, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not believe the Parliament had approved a general amnesty.

Haitian senators said they hoped their vote would give Cedras one less excuse for holding onto power.

The United States had strongly supported an amnesty for military leaders despite concern that Aristide might not proclaim it. His supporters have called for “justice” for political and human rights crimes by the military.

“What this bill does . . . is throw the ball back to President Aristide,” U.S. Embassy spokesman Stanley Schrager said.

Displaying increasing defiance of the military, about 5,000 pro-democracy Haitians marched Friday to army headquarters to demand that Cedras leave. The rally was the first at the headquarters.

“Down with Cedras! We hate Cedras!” they jeered, increasing the pressure on Cedras to not only step down from power, but to leave Haiti. Cedras has said he won’t leave the country, as Aristide demands.

Cedras was not inside the white-and-yellow building. But some of his top commanders watched from a second-floor balcony, including Brig. Gen. Philippe Biamby, who like Cedras must leave power by the end of next week.

Demonstrators stuffed a pair of blue jeans with foam rubber and spanked it with branches--a surrogate for Cedras and the once-dreaded police chief Lt. Col. Michel-Joseph Francois, who fled to the Dominican Republic on Tuesday.

The demonstration coincided with the visit of Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott to discuss the transition from military to civilian government.

After less than an hour of discussion, the Senate voted 9 to 1 to give Aristide the authority to grant an amnesty. Approval quickly followed on two minor amendments related to amnesty.

“We are voting to get out the confusion, not because of the pressure from the (American) troops here,” said Sen. Clark Parent, an Aristide supporter who came out of hiding from the military to cast his vote. American soldiers guarded the seaside Legislative Palace.

Senators emphasized that the agreement would not stop individuals from suing their tormentors in court for human rights violations committed since the military seized power three years ago. Thousands of people have been killed since then.

“I hope (Cedras and Biamby) will do their part” by leaving, said Senate President Firmin Jean-Louis. “I hope the gesture will come in the upcoming days or the upcoming hours.”

Jean-Claude Roy, a conservative politician and friend of Cedras, criticized the measure. He said it “offers guidelines for Aristide only if Aristide does indeed keep his word and grant an amnesty.”

There were further signs, meanwhile, of the opposition wobbling to its feet after three years of military rule.

The pro-Aristide National Congress for Democratic Movements met Friday, holding its most open meeting in three years, said Eddy Jean Claude, a member of the party’s directorate. “But we still have fear,” he added.

Paramilitary violence continued in Cite Soleil, a pro-Aristide stronghold and one of the capital’s worst slums, but the U.S. military said American troops were not deployed there.

About 50 people gathered early Friday around the hacked body of a bus driver, reportedly killed by pro-military attaches the night before. Such killings are common in Cite Soleil.

A cousin of the victim, identified only as Emmanuel, said he had seen half a dozen men chasing Emmanuel the night before and recognized one as a member of the paramilitary Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haiti, or FRAPH.

Neighbors and relatives said American military patrols could have prevented the killing.

“The Americans don’t come through here,” said one woman. “Why don’t they come?”

U.S. Army spokesman Col. Barry Willey said the U.S. force was aware that Cite Soleil “is a politically sensitive area, but we have a lot of areas that we could potentially patrol and that we are patrolling.”