By Robert Hart, Staff Reporter
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson (left) and Dr. Omar Davies, Minister of Finance and Planning, in discussion prior to yesterday's weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House. - Rudolph Brown/Staff Photographer
OUSTED HAITIAN President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's claim that he was kidnapped and flown to Africa has sent a cloud of scepticism over today's meeting of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads in Kingston.
Chairman of CARICOM, Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, has voiced concern ahead of the meeting and the issue of Aristide's supposed voluntary resignation is expected to inform the direction of the talks.
His comments came amidst rising concerns and reports that the Haitian president was forced to leave his country.
Mr. Patterson was adamant that the Haitian President had indicated no plans to flee his homeland prior to his departure in the wee hours of Sunday morning.
"We were in direct communication with President Aristide on Saturday afternoon and nothing that he said to us then would that he said to us then would have led us to believe that his resignation was imminent," Mr. Patterson told journalists during yesterday's post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.
To the contrary, the Prime Minister noted that Mr. Aristide had made it "extremely clear" that he intended to remain in office until the end of his elected term in 2006.
During a television interview aired on CNN yesterday, President Aristide himself publicly claimed that he was forced to leave the country at gunpoint.
The 13 other CARICOM heads are expected to join Mr. Patterson at Jamaica House for 2:00 p.m. talks on the latest developments, and the new leadership of the country.
DOUBTS ON RESIGNATION
Mr. Patterson said he was surprised that the now-deposed Haitian President had not communicated with any of the Caribbean leaders to indicate his sudden change of mind "if that was done in a voluntary situation."
Prior to the CARICOM chairman's comments, reports had surfaced that President Aristide may have been abducted by United States armed forces after repeated urgings that he step down.
During yesterday's briefing, Mr. Patterson was cautious but clear in his criticism of all nations that supported the Haitian President's removal from office.
"When the foreign ministers of the U.S., Canada, Jamaica, St. Lucia and the Bahamas met in Washington and signed off on what up to them was the CARICOM initiative, no one expressed the view that the plan would be unworkable because of any complaint of malfeasance by President Aristide in the performance of his Presidential duties," he said.
