Les Cayes, December 5, 2002- (AHP)- More than 100,000 people came to see

President Aristide Wednesday in Les Cayes (180 km south of the capital) one

of the cities he is to visit as he travels to the country’s southern coast.


The Chief of State will be in the region to inaugurate a series of

infrastructure projects including the construction of an airport. He will

also inspect several recently completed projects including the new bridge

spanning the Ravine du Sud as well as construction projects that will link

together several different communities in the region.


The people of the city gave the president a warm welcome. This was one of

the largest crowds to turn out to greet the Chief of State in recent months,

far from the anti- and pro-government demonstrations of the past few weeks

in the capital.


The more than 100,000 supporters of the Chief of State who came to meet him

asked him to hold to his intention of organizing early legislative elections

in 2003. They chanted slogans asking the Convergence not to be afraid of

elections.


At the same time, they asked the president not to increase the 100 million

gourdes amount that was set aside for compensating the political parties

that claim to have suffered serious harm during the violent incidents of

December 17, 2001 after a lethal attack on the National palace.


“The country is in the grip of economic sanctions; the money from taxes

should be used for development projects across the country” opined the crowd

that also asked the Chief of State to comment on the position of one of the

opposition parties that declares its desire to receive more than 50 million

gourdes in compensation.


President Aristide visited several villages in the South, around Port-Salut,

and Les Irois, and was welcomed by thousands of supporters.


The president is expected to return to Port-au-Prince this Thursday

afternoon.