To sanction any such arrangement said Patterson, current chairman of the 15-member CARICOM, would be to set a dangerous precedent for constitutional governance and the democratic process and quite "contrary to our (CARICOM) already articulated position".

CARICOM, of which Haiti became a member in 1998 when Rene Preval was President, has been closely working with the USA and Canada, as well as the Organisation of American States, on a peace initiative that includes a military presence in Haiti, in view of the violence and chaos, but with President Aristide remaining as President.

The Jamaican Prime Minister, who spoke with the Sunday Chronicle in a telephone interview from Kingston, was yesterday meeting with top cabinet colleagues, among them his Foreign and National Security Ministers.

He was also continuing yesterday to be in touch with fellow Community heads of government on the implications of an evident shift in the positions of the USA, France and Canada on the Haitian crisis that now favours Aristide's resignation.

A new official CARICOM statement is expected, possibly within the next 48 hours, as Patterson and other Community leaders exchange views on the latest situation in Haiti.

On Friday evening, Patterson had cut short his participation in the current G-15 Summit of developing nations in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, to return home to be directly involved in monitoring developments at the United Nations, Washington and Port-au-Prince in the face of anarchy in Haiti.

This followed the latest signal of what is viewed as a "somsersault" by the trio of France, USA and Canada in the UN Security Council from original support for a CARICOM 'peace plan' on Haiti that allows President Aristide to complete his constitutional term that ends in February 2006.

Patterson stressed that the Caribbean Community had made great efforts, on a continuing basis, to strike a healthy compromise between President Aristide and the demands of recognised opposition parties and civil society.

Therefore, he warned, CARICOM could not now be party to any arrangement that would in effect be rewarding "intransigence" and "armed rebellion" to get rid of a legitimate Head of State.

Prime Minister Patterson said CARICOM would continue to "hold out hope" that better judgement will prevail against demands for Aristide's resignation as a precondition to having an international military presence in Haiti.

Meanwhile, as the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, was yesterday warning of a humanitarian crisis and as Haitians fled their homeland in search of refuge, President George Bush's administration was enforcing a decision to send back all Haitians seeking asylum in America.