Haitian opposition without plane for Paris talks

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Feb 26 (AFP) – Representatives of Haiti’s political opposition were left waiting for a plane Thursday to take them to talks in Paris proposed by the French government.

American Airlines cancelled its scheduled flight from Port-au-Prince to Miami because of the increased tensions in the Caribbean nation. For the same reason, Air France said it was not sure whether a flight from the West Indies to Florida would make a scheduled stopover in the capital.

A Haitian government delegation had already arrived in Paris for talks with French representatives. The French government on Wednesday called on President Jean Bertrand Aristide to stand down.

The delegation from the Democratic Platform opposition coalition included senior socialist member Micha Gaillard; Marie-Denise Claude, a Christian Democrat; and Paul Denis of the left-wing Organisation for the People’s Struggle.

There was also Lionel Etienne, head of the Franco-Haitian Chamber of Commerce; and industrialist Edouard Peaultre.The opposition at first had said it could not attend talks in Paris and has rejected any contact with government representatives.

© AFP

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