Chaos Erupts in Haiti After Election
VOA News 29 November 2010
Haitians voted Sunday in the most important elections in years in the earthquake and cholera-ravaged country.
Within hours of the election's start, chaos and confusion erupted at the polling places and protesters took to the streets around the Caribbean nation. Officials say two deaths have been reported.
Twelve of the 19 presidential candidates collectively denounced outgoing President Rene Preval, accusing him of devising a conspiracy to hand the presidency to his party's candidate, Jude Celestin. The candidates say they want the election canceled.
U.N. officials expressed concern about the "numerous incidents" that disrupted voting.
Allegations ranging from outright fraud to polling place disorganization that disenfranchised many Haitians nearly brought the election to a halt.
Many voters had no idea where to vote, while others arrived at polling stations to find that their names were not on the rolls.
Thousands of people took to the streets around the country to protest the election.
Despite these developments, the electoral council said Sunday there were irregularities at only 56 of 1,500 voting centers.
Results are expected December 7. If no presidential candidate wins a majority of votes, a run-off election will be scheduled for January 16.
Haitians also voted for a 99-member lower house and 11 members of the 30-seat Senate.
The impoverished nation is still recovering from a January 12 earthquake that killed 250,000 people and left about 1 million others homeless. A cholera outbreak that began late October has claimed more than 1,500 lives.
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