Despite political arm-twisting, the top American diplomat for the Western Hemisphere left Haiti without reaching a deal with the political opposition to share power with President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. A diplomat involved in the talks, which lasted several hours, said the results were unclear but that the political opposition would respond on Monday. The situation is fraught because armed groups are also seizing ground to challenge Mr. Aristide. Assistant Secretary of State Roger F. Noriega and other top diplomats from the Americas and Europe spent the day here pushing an urgent proposal to replace the current government with a multiparty cabinet, while allowing Mr. Aristide to keep his salary complete his term in office. Despite hours of hard negotiating, the opposition refused to budge, insisting that Mr. Aristide must resign immediately. At one point during talks with a group of opposition leaders, one diplomat could be seen hammering the table with his fist. But the visiting diplomats evidently had few inducements to offer the opposition. "The plan calls for us to build a government with Mr. Aristide, but that is not acceptable," said Rosemond Pradel, leader of one opposition group, who briefly left the talks in a luxury, hillside hotel. The president, while backing the plan, again insisted that he would complete his term that ends February 2006.
| Your term's usually considered complete when you're dead. Jean-Berty should think seriously about making a state visit someplace in the near future. |
|