Aristide Admits Justice, Jobs Woes Haitian Leader Doesn’t Publicly Blame Clinton, Who Visits Today

President Jean-Bertrand Aristide said Thursday he agrees that his government has failed to provide justice or jobs in Haiti and that these shortcomings are “absolutely” a threat to stability here.

“I welcome the concerns and share those comments,” he said, criticizing his government for failing to provide work or to punish criminals.

He made his comments in an interview with two U.S. reporters in his outer office while workmen nailed red, white and blue bunting to a nearby railing overlooking the platform where he will greet President Clinton today.

The interview and Clinton’s trip come at a time when Haitians increasingly are clamoring for an end to a wave of crime and violence and blaming both the U.S. troops here and the Aristide government.

Aristide carefully separated himself from the actions, or lack of actions, of his administration.

“While the government is losing weight with the people” because of their anger over crime and a lack of jobs, “the president is gaining popularity,” he said, speaking of himself.

“I won with 65 percent,” he said of his 1990 election, “but it (that popularity) is even higher now.”

Aristide refused to directly blame Clinton for failing to expand the U.S. mission to include law enforcement and job creation, saying that, overall, the intervention “was a success.”