 Haiti's former dictator Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier (R) gestures to supporters on the balcony of his hotel room in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. AP photo |
Haiti's political crisis was deepening after aides to Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier said he intended to return to power, and international monitors slammed November's presidential elections.
Duvalier issued a statement denying the remarks by his aides Wednesday, but did not rule out a political role in the country he was ousted from 25 years ago. Duvalier's surprise return late Sunday has stoked further turmoil here, as Haiti struggles to recover from a devastating earthquake and resolve the political crisis triggered by the tainted vote.
He "will stay in Haiti forever, it's his country. And take part in politics. That's his right. A politician never dies," said his lawyer Reynold Georges, adding that Duvalier was preparing to move back into his old house.
Another aide, Henry Robert Sterlin, went further, telling: "We need to shake everything up so that the elections are annulled and new elections are held in which Duvalier can run."
"Then Bingo," he would be re-elected, added Sterlin, a former Haitian ambassador to France who presented himself as the spokesman for Duvalier.
Duvalier later issued a statement through his partner Veronique Roy apparently aimed at Sterlin's remarks, denying "any political statements... that may have alluded to scenarios related to Haiti's electoral process."
But the statement did not rule out a return to politics for the 59-year-old Duvalier, who succeeded his father Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier as dictator and ruled Haiti for 15 years.
In Washington, State Department spokesman PJ Crowley did not mention Duvalier by name but said in a Twitter posting: "This is an important period for Haiti. What it needs is calm, not divisive actions that distract from the task of forming a new government."
The former strongman has returned at a time of great political uncertainty, with the Organization of American States saying the Nov. 28 presidential vote was riddled with irregularities and fraud.
The electoral monitoring group called Wednesday for President Rene Preval's handpicked candidate, Jude Celestin, should be eliminated from the race. But Haiti's election commission has said it will only change the order on the basis of valid legal complaints, which must be filed by Friday.
Memories of Duvalier's repressive 1971-1986 regime remain strong, and human rights groups have accused him and his late father of having presided over decades of unparalleled oppression and abuse.
Duvalier issued a statement denying the remarks by his aides Wednesday, but did not rule out a political role in the country he was ousted from 25 years ago. Duvalier's surprise return late Sunday has stoked further turmoil here, as Haiti struggles to recover from a devastating earthquake and resolve the political crisis triggered by the tainted vote.
He "will stay in Haiti forever, it's his country. And take part in politics. That's his right. A politician never dies," said his lawyer Reynold Georges, adding that Duvalier was preparing to move back into his old house.
Another aide, Henry Robert Sterlin, went further, telling: "We need to shake everything up so that the elections are annulled and new elections are held in which Duvalier can run."
"Then Bingo," he would be re-elected, added Sterlin, a former Haitian ambassador to France who presented himself as the spokesman for Duvalier.
Duvalier later issued a statement through his partner Veronique Roy apparently aimed at Sterlin's remarks, denying "any political statements... that may have alluded to scenarios related to Haiti's electoral process."
But the statement did not rule out a return to politics for the 59-year-old Duvalier, who succeeded his father Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier as dictator and ruled Haiti for 15 years.
In Washington, State Department spokesman PJ Crowley did not mention Duvalier by name but said in a Twitter posting: "This is an important period for Haiti. What it needs is calm, not divisive actions that distract from the task of forming a new government."
The former strongman has returned at a time of great political uncertainty, with the Organization of American States saying the Nov. 28 presidential vote was riddled with irregularities and fraud.
The electoral monitoring group called Wednesday for President Rene Preval's handpicked candidate, Jude Celestin, should be eliminated from the race. But Haiti's election commission has said it will only change the order on the basis of valid legal complaints, which must be filed by Friday.
Memories of Duvalier's repressive 1971-1986 regime remain strong, and human rights groups have accused him and his late father of having presided over decades of unparalleled oppression and abuse.
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