Ousted Haitian leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide will visit Jamaica next week from exile in the Central African Republic, Jamaican Prime Minister Percival Patterson was quoted by the local press as saying Thursday.

"Mr. Aristide has expressed a wish to return temporarily to the Caribbean with his wife and to be reunited with their two young children, who are currently in the United States," Patterson said in a statement issued in Jamaica's capital of Kingston.

However, Patterson denied Aristide will seek political asylum in his country. "I would like to stress that Mr. Aristide is not requesting political asylum in Jamaica," he said.

Aristide is to travel to Jamaica with his wife Mildred and may spend "eight to ten weeks," the statement said.

Patterson said Aristide was making final arrangements for permanent residence outside the region. However, he is not sure if South Africa, which reportedly would be his final destination, can take him or not.

Patterson said he had told the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) about Aristide's request.

The former president would arrive in Kingston early next week.

Aristide fled Haiti and went to the Central African Republic atthe end of last month with his wife amid a bloody armed uprising.

On Monday, appearing for the first time in public since his arrival in the Central African Republic, Aristide appealed for peaceful resistance to the "occupation" of Haiti and insisted he had been abducted by US forces.

Aristide said he still regarded himself as Haiti's legitimate leader. "I am the elected president and I remain the elected president. I am pleading for the restoration of democracy."

The United States has denied Aristide's allegations of kidnapping, saying it helped him leave Haiti but the decision to go was his own. However, leaders in the Caribbean region have called for an inquiry into Aristide's accusations.