HAVANA, March 11 (Xinhuanet) -- The newly-appointed Haitian prime minister, Gerard Latourte, Thursday began the arduous task of building a government of national reconciliation amid persisting social clashes, reports reaching here from Haitian capital Port-au-Prince said.

    He was elected by the council of "wise men" on Tuesday and returned to his hometown on Wednesday from Miami, the United States. Latourte spent 25 years in exile during the 29-year Duvalier family dictatorship, which ended in 1986. He became foreign minister in 1988 for former President Leslie Manigat who was toppled in a military coup led by Lt. Gen. Henry Namphy.

    Reports quoted the new prime minister as saying that he would pick members of his cabinet in the next few days and did not rule out the inclusion of militants of the ruling Lavalas Family Party,led by deposed President Jean-Bertrand Aristide

    Latourte, 69, is the secretary general of the Association of Caribbean Universities and Research Centers based in Puerto Rico, and takes the responsibility for organizing legislative and presidential elections.

    Members of the council of "wise men" said the government transition towards legislative polls might spend two years in Haiti.

    Clashes between residents and US Marines of the international peacekeeping forces have escalated and at least two Haitian civilians were killed in shootouts on Wednesday.

    From his exile in the Central African Republic, Aristide decided to lodge an accusation against the United States and France on the charges of kidnapping and abetting in kidnapping, lawyers of the former president said.

    Aristide's French attorney Gilbert Collard denounced that the US authorities forced the Haitian president out of his country on Feb. 29 with the help of France in violation of international law.Enditem