Si w genyen zye, kade! Si w genyen lisidite, konprann!

AMY GOODMAN: President Aristide, did you resign the Presidency?

PRESIDENT ARISTIDE: No, I did not resign. I exchanged words through conversations, we exchanged notes. I gave a written note before I went to the press at the time. And instead of taking me where they said they were taking me in front of the Haitian press, the foreign press, to talk to the people, to explain what is going on, to call for peace. They used that note as a letter of resignation, and I say, they are lying.
AMY GOODMAN: When you went into the car from your house, did you understand you were going to the airport and being flown out?

PRESIDENT ARISTIDE: Not at all. Because this is not what they told me. This was our best way to avoid bloodshed. We talked with them somehow in a nice, diplomatic way to avoid bloodshed, we played the best we could in a respectful way, in a legal and diplomatic way. Because they that told me that they were going to have bloodshed. Thousands of people were going to be killed, including myself. As I said, it was not for me, because I never cared about me, my life, my security. First of all, I care about the security and lives of other people. I was elected to protect the life of every single citizen. So, that night I did my best to avoid bloodshed and when they took me, putting me in their plane, that was their plan. My strategy was then all I could [do] to avoid bloodshed.

com/Employment-Resign
This evening, 28 February 2004, I am still determined to respect and have the constitution respected.

The constitution is the guarantee of life and peace. The constitution cannot be drowned in the blood of the Haitian people.

For that reason, tonight I am resigning in order to avoid a bloodbath. I accept to leave, with the hope that there will be life and not death.

Life for everyone

Death for no one

In respect for the constitution

and in the face of respecting the constitution, Haiti will have life and peace.

Thank you.

(Signature) Jean Bertrand-Aristide