ARTICLE - MARTELLY - ARISTIDE MEETING

HISTORIC MEETING MARTELLY-ARISTIDE
(Haiti Libre) -

As part of national reconciliation, President Michel Martelly, after having met Tuesday the former Head of State Haiti, General Prosper Avril; the Head of State was received Wednesday morning, at the private residence in Tabarre of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

"A visit under the sign of peace, respect, and dialogue of the brotherhood between the sons of the nation." An attitude that, according to President Martelly will lead the country towards real change. The two men discussed, in a warm atmosphere, for nearly two hours,... a number of topics ranging from education to security, passing through the national reconciliation.....

President Martelly was accompanied by several of his relatives as well as the President of both Houses, Jean Rodolphe Joazile (Senate) and Sorel Jacinthe (Lower House). Former President Artiside had with him, his wife Mildred, a businessman Jean-Marie Vorbe, Dr. Maryse Narcisse and a former member of his private cabinet, Gladys Pean. It was Dr. Narcisse who answered to political questions during the meeting.

During this meeting, the former President Aristide declared: "This visit reinforces all the steps that have been made so that we can put our heads together [...] we are all Haitians, both abroad and in Haiti. We must agree each other. The ancestors did it,...they made 'unity is strength' (l'union fait la force), which gave us a country. Now in the same line of 'l'union fait la force', we have to agree with each other..."

For his part, President Martelly said that he wanted to organize a conference of former leaders of Haiti. "The time has come for all Haitians to come together in order for a building project, a shared vision to finally put the country back on its feet."

"Today we must agree, talk, dialogue, to make of Haiti a beautiful country. It is in this spirit that I thank you for this visit, President Martelly" said Jean-Bertrand Aristide; giving an accolade to the Head of State, snf promising his support for the success of his five-year term.

Out of this historic meeting, President Michel Martelly declared that "He received me as one of his own [...] We are all Haitians on this land. That's the signal we need to send out."

In the entourage of the Head of State, it is estimated that this meeting with Jean-Bertrand Aristide is one of the most important in the reconciliation process.