On February 29, 2004 (February 10, 2004 in the lunar calendar), Haiti President Aristide announced his resignation as president and began to go into exile. On February 29, 2004, facing pressure from domestic opposition and some countries, Haiti President Aristide announced his resignation as president and left Haiti for Dominica to begin another life in exile. Boniface Alexander, President of the Supreme Court of Haiti, said he had begun to exercise the powers of head of state. The political crisis in Haiti was caused by domestic opposition demands that Aristide step down. Since Haiti opposition forces launched a rebellion on February 5, they have gradually gained control of most cities in Haiti and completed the siege of the capital Port-au-Prince on the 26th. The armed conflict killed more than 80 people. On February 29, the United Nations Security Council authorized the deployment of a temporary multinational force led by the United States in Haiti to help restore peace and stability in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, and other areas. Jean Bertrand Aristide was born on July 15, 1953 in Sarteru, southern Haiti. He was appointed Archbishop of the San Jose District of Port-au-Prince in 1982. He began to engage in political activities in 1985. He sympathizes with the poor and is supported by the middle and lower classes in Haiti. In 1990, he proposed to run for president and was elected with nearly 70% of the votes in the first round of elections. However, eight months after taking office, he was overthrown by a military coup launched by Lieutenant General Cedras and has since gone into exile. In July 1993, he reached an agreement with Haiti military leaders and was scheduled to return to China on October 30 of the same year to resume his duties, but the military did not abide by the agreement. In October 1994, the United States launched a military invasion and supported Aristide's return to serve as president. Because the Haiti constitution prohibits re-election, in February 1996, Aristide handed over the presidential scepter to his good friend René Préval. In November 2000, Aristide won the presidential election and became president of Haiti again in February 2001. On February 29, 2004, he announced his resignation as president and began to go into exile.