(14 Feb 2004)
1. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and group of leaders from the Americas walk out of the State Department building
2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Colin Powell, U.S. Secretary of State:
"We all have a commitment to the democratic process in Haiti, and we will accept no outcome that is not consistent with the constitution. We will accept no outcome that in any way illegally attempts to remove the elected President of Haiti. At the same time we believe both sides need to come together and find a political solution, a peaceful political solution using the CARICOM proposal."
3. Cutaway
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) K. D. Knight, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica and CARICOM Ministerial Spokesperson:
"This should not be construed as uncritical support for the President of Haiti, it is for democracy in Haiti. CARICOM wants to support and nurture the fledgling democracy which has begun to be established in Haiti after decades of authoritarian, totalitarian rule in that country. We are engaged in a process which must ultimately lead to free and fair elections."
5. Cutaway
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Cesar Gaviria, Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS):
"We have come today with full support of the CARICOM plan. We expect also, as Secretary Powell has stated, more support for the OAS mission that is working for the CARICOM initiative. We have some monitoring responsibilities, we hope to comply with them and we hope for the full cooperation of the government of Haiti on this matter."
7. Cutaway
8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Julian Hunte, President of the United Nations General Assembly:
"The United Nations is, in fact, monitoring the situation and hopes that it will not reach the stage where it develop into something that is untenable; and the U.N. will do whatever it can to assist in the process that is under way."
9. Cutaway
10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Bill Graham, Canadian Foreign Minister:
"We strongly believe in Canada that that plan has the best opportunity for international success. We support it, through the OAS, through the Francophony (French speaking nations), we believe that the international community, through the UN as well needs to come together and speak as one voice condemning violence, telling the government of President Aristide that he must cooperate with the CARICOM nations, telling the opposition that they must cooperate with the CARICOM nations and come together for the benefit of their nation."
11. Group talking among themselves

STORYLINE:

Western Hemisphere nations on Friday called on parties to the conflict in Haiti to move quickly on implementing confidence building measures to ensure a peaceful, democratic outcome.

Secretary of State Colin Powell joined by OAS (Organisation of American States) Secretary General Cesar Gaviria, and Foreign Ministers Bill Graham of Canada, K. D. Knight of Jamaica, Julian Hunte of St. Lucia and Fred Mitchell of the Bahamas, said the verbal support offered by President Jean-Bertrand Aristide for a political solution is not enough.

Powell added that the United States and other hemispheric countries agree on the need for a constitutional outcome.

"We will accept no outcome that, in any way, illegally attempts to remove the elected president of Haiti," Powell said.

Powell said he and his colleagues agreed to provide additional support to an OAS mission in Haiti that includes humanitarian workers and police personnel. The amount of the assistance was not disclosed.

A joint statement issued after the meeting pledged efforts to professionalise Haiti''s national police.






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