Seven candidates are among opposition figures rounded up

 Opposition parties say at least 34 of their members have been arrested since
 chaotic balloting for local and legislative posts May 21.
 BY MICHAEL NORTON
 Associated Press

 PORT-AU-PRINCE -- The United States on Saturday condemned the climate of
 intimidation that followed Haiti's elections, saying reported arrests of prominent
 opposition leaders were especially troubling.

 ``We condemn the violence and call upon the government of Haiti to use restraint
 and to take immediate measures to rectify these incidents,'' the U.S. Embassy
 said in a statement.

 Opposition parties say at least 34 of their members have been arrested since
 chaotic balloting for local and legislative posts May 21.

 Fifteen are members of the Struggling People's Organization and 19 are from the
 five-party Space for Concord coalition.

 Seven of those arrested were candidates.

 They included Sen. Paul Denis, a former parliamentary majority spokesman
 accused of illegal possession of arms; and Jean Limongy, a Space for Concord
 lower-house candidate accused of incitement to violence.

 Mary Durran, information officer of the Organization of American States' election
 observation mission, said the group regarded Denis' arrest as illegal.

 He was released Friday, four days after his arrest.

 Limongy remains in custody.

 On Tuesday, the day on which Limongy was arrested, police broke into his radio
 and television stations in Petit-Goave, about 37 miles west of the capital of
 Port-au-Prince, and smashed equipment, said Space for Concord spokesman
 Evans Paul.

 Police spokesman Jean-Dady Simeon said he did not know of any such incident.