Ayitinou.com

The United States Monday urged the former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, in exile in South Africa, to "postpone his return" to his country to avoid disrupting the presidential election whose second round is set for Sunday .

The firm, which remains very popular in Haiti, has rejected this request through his lawyer. Relatives of Mr. Aristide in Port-au-Prince in recent days have called her back to "imminent" after seven years of exile in South Africa.

"A return this week can only be seen as a conscious choice to have an impact on the elections in Haiti," observed Washington Mark Toner, spokesman for the State Department. "We urge President Aristide to delay his return until after the election," said Mr. Toner, "to allow Haitians to vote in a peaceful atmosphere."

A return before the March 20 election "could be potentially destabilizing for the electoral process," he said.

Washington said the spokesman, asked the South African government to make the same request to Mr. Aristide.

The former president had said in mid-January will return home for medical reasons and also "to help serve (his) brothers and sisters in Haiti as a private citizen in the field of education."

In a written statement sent to AFP, his lawyer, Ira Kurzban, has ensured that the expected return of his client had nothing to do with the election and reiterated that he intended to work in education. But he explained that Mr. Aristide is concerned that a change of government in Haiti is no requirement to stay in South Africa. "

The U.S. administration "would leave that decision to the democratically elected government (Haiti) rather than trying to dictate conditions for the return of a Haitian citizen in his country," added Mr. Kurzban, who performs in Miami (South is U.S.).

Aristide had to leave office in 2004 facing an armed uprising and pressure from the United States and France, who accused him of incompetence.

For its part, the presidential candidate Michel Martelly, Mirlande Manigat opposed to the second round of elections scheduled March 20, said he did not mind seeing the return of the former president, while asking him to wait of the election.

"Jean-Bertrand Aristide as President Duvalier, has the right to return to his country today, tomorrow. It should not disrupt the elections," said Martelly at a press conference where he officially received the support of five former presidential candidates and a group of athletes.

But Mr. Martelly has qualified, "if I had the authority, I would ask him to wait until Monday or Tuesday for the stability of the election period." Mr. Martelly acknowledged having the support of several members of the party of former president.

Mr. Martelly said he hopes the "welcome President Aristide (...). A unless it is a well studied programming.

The campaign to elect a president and a new parliament on Monday entered its final week.

It was marked by acts of violence, including murder of three young bill posters, presumed near Mirlande Manigat. Mr. Martelly condemned these acts and denied responsibility.

The former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier in Haiti returned there almost two months after 25 years of exile in France.