Grieving Haitians demand Aristide return

On a hilltop overlooking the Caribbean, a digger cleared a plot of land as 350 mourners said their final goodbyes to friends and family killed in the January 12 quake.

An official from the Aristide Foundation for Democracy Rene Civil said: "Because of the wickedness of the authorities, Aristide cannot attend this ceremony in memory of the thousands of victims of the catastrophe of January 12.

"But with the help of the Lavalas (Party) activists, Titid will return to Haiti before long," he added, using a nickname for the former Haitian leader, who is currently exiled in South Africa.

"Long live Aristide," he shouted to the crowd, some of whom repeated the cry.

Mourner Jean Delcius said: "Preval has done nothing for this country, nothing for the victims."

Critics were already blaming President Rene Preval for rising unemployment, corruption and greed before the devastating earthquake and Mr Preval has rarely been seen in public since.

Before legislative elections scheduled for February 28 were postponed, Haiti's presidentially appointed electoral council had excluded more than a dozen political parties from the next round of elections in 2011.

Opposition groups accused the council of trying to help Mr Preval's Unity party win majorities in parliament so he could push through constitutional reforms and expand executive power.

The most prominent excluded party is Mr Aristide's Lavalas Party, which now plans more demonstrations.

Meanwhile, US Red Cross officials in Washington said on Monday that there was a waiting list of 1,000 flights to land at Haiti's airport, hindering the delivery of relief supplies.