New Haitian premier sworn in, warns Jamaica about Aristide

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Former Haitian exile Gerard Latortue was sworn in Friday as the country's prime minister, promising to unite the country after months of bloodshed and political strife that led to the ouster of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Before taking the oath of office, Latortue warned that Aristide's plan to return to nearby Jamaica early next week was ratcheting up tensions in the Haitian capital, and he told the Jamaican leader that hosting Aristide would be seen as "an unfriendly act."

The Jamaican foreign ministry said it had warned Aristide that he must not use Jamaica as a "launching pad" for a return to power.

Latortue was sworn in before a crowd of 200 people under heavy security, saying he was happy to serve his country.

"This is an occasion for hope for all Haitians," he said. "Together we will form a responsible government that respects its institutions, and I will see that every dollar given to development projects will be well spent."

Latortue, 69, is a former U.N. official and business consultant who arrived in Haiti on Wednesday after living in Florida.

He spent much of the 29-year Duvalier family dictatorship, which ended in 1986, in exile. He became foreign minister in 1988 for former President Leslie Manigat, who was toppled in a military coup.

Earlier, Latortue told pro-Aristide politicians that he wants to hold legislative elections in six to eight months, Cabinet Minister Leslie Voltaire said.

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Contributing: Paisley Dodds, Stevenson Jacobs.