Aristide vows to serve out term as Haitians celebrate bicentennial.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Byline: Michael A. W. Ottey

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti _ Hundreds of thousands of jubilant Haitians swarmed the National Palace on New Year's Day as they celebrated their nation's bicentennial and embraced their embattled president's vision of an improved and united Haiti.

President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's appearance at the top of the steps of the Regal Palace whipped an already excited crowd into a frenzy, causing a fence to topple and a platform to break. Aristide greeted his adoring audience with "Happy New Year," repeating the wish five times and counting them on his fingers to symbolize the five-year term he has been elected to serve.

In an exclusive interview immediately following the ceremony, Aristide told The Miami Herald he intends to serve out those five years. His term ends in 2006.

Haiti in recent months has been wracked by political unrest, with one side demanding that Aristide resign and the other telling the president to stay the course.

On Thursday, there were more demonstration in the capital and Gonaives, where Aristide turned up later for more celebrations. In the capital, opposition members took to the streets in protests marred by violence.

Andy Apaid, one of the opposition leaders, told The Herald the previous evening that the march was not intended to disrupt any of the planned festivities, but to use the day to send a message to the world of the dissatisfaction with Aristide.