"Li Ale, Li Toune, Li Ale, Li Toune Net" was just one of the chants throngs of supporters sang outside Haiti's airport early Friday, March 18: "He left, he came back, he left, he's here to stay." The "he" is Jean-Bertand Aristide, the only president in modern history to be deposed and returned to power, then deposed again and returned a second time. Only this time, as opposed to being able to finish his truncated 5-year term as he did in 1994, he's returning from seven years exile in South Africa, ineligible to run for president again.

His arrival was well timed, just two days before Haiti's presidential election. For weeks he has been saying he wanted to come back while the political climate was still favorable. He was worried that a change in government might close his window of opportunity.

The international community, particularly the United States and France, exerted pressure on South Africa to delay the exiled President's return until after Sunday's vote, but Aristide, known for his defiance, prevailed.

The reception that the former Catholic priest received, thousands of supporters pumping and dancing in the streets, was exactly what the international community feared. Despite his absence, Aristide has continued to be a political player who is as popular among some crowds as he is despised among others. His arrival in general, but certainly pre-elections, worried many. A distraction at best, if not a disruption of the important electoral vote.

Aristide's international press person said that journalists representing media from more than 60 different press organizations covered his arrival, from the Americas to Europe to Africa. Still the coverage was less than his return on October 15, 1994.

To be fair, Haiti has had its share of news space. And with the situation in Japan and Libya, it's also taking a back seat. Especially when there is less money now than there was years ago for foreign correspondents. And an explosion of technology has changed how news is reported.

Haiti's population is young (50% is under 21) and journalists in the field are young, too. The ones that used to report on Aristide when I covered the country in the 80s and 90s are mostly absent now. Some own their own media companies, some are in exile, others are working for international agencies for significantly higher wages.

The new generation of journalists who twittered and sent photos from the Mais Gate airport where Aristide arrived with his cortege ( including his wife, two daughters) had only heard about the actors that shaped their country's history. The return just two months ago of former dictator Jean Claude Duvalier was their first living history lesson. Aristide's arrival was another.

The Haitian press will have a chance now, with a new president, to judge for themselves how history is being made. They will be able to chart the success of programs of this new government, see how they tackle the numerous crises, both natural and man made, that have cramped, if not prohibited, progress in this impoverished country. The coming weeks, months, even years, can help the press put in perspective the impact of previous administrations.

If, as former President Aristide claims, he has returned home not to be a political player but rather to concentrate on rebuilding the education system, then he can play a significant role in creating a stronger, more educated and dynamic press. One that, hopefully, will never again have to cover the return of an ousted president.