Haiti Election News Roundup

[bcholmes]

News coverage round-up:

Haiti's immediate future appears unclear after a dozen presidential candidates called for the annulment of Sunday's general election, citing widespread fraud.

Michel Joseph Martelly, Mirlande Manigat, Charles-Henri Baker and Jean Henry Ceant were among the candidates who attended an afternoon news conference to denounce what they called "this massive fraud."

Candidate Anne Marie Josette Bijou read the statement on behalf of the 12 of 18 presidential candidates who signed it.

Their statement, read to a cheering crowd, calls for people to take to the streets to peacefully protest against the government and the country's Provisional Electoral Council, known as the CEP.

As if in response, thousands spilled onto the streets of the capital Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien, the second-largest city, after polls closed. Polls across the country were to officially close by 4 p.m. local time, but there was no way of independently verifying if that was the case.

— "Haiti election a 'massive fraud'", CBC

Haiti was plunged into political crisis after a majority of the presidential candidates rejected the vote before it was even over, decrying the election as fraud-filled.

Their declaration, made at a joint press conference yesterday afternoon, raised the spectre of violence in the streets, with fears that some Haitians may attempt to force the ouster of President René Préval or attack supporters of his protégé, candidate Jude Célestin, who were accused of orchestrating the alleged fraud.

— "Haitians take to the streets as voters, candidates declare election a fraud", The Globe and Mail

PORT-AU-PRINCE - Frustrated voters in Haiti protested at defective electoral lists and disorganized polling stations on Sunday as the country held turbulent elections amid a raging cholera epidemic and political tensions.

[...]

Three of the 18 presidential candidates standing announced they would hold a news conference to denounce what they called “massive fraud”.

— "Angry voters protest Haiti polls delays, confusion", National Post.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- Two-thirds of the candidates in Haiti's presidential race, including one of the front-runners, denounced Sunday's national elections and called for a complete annulment of the vote due to irregularities and ballot-box stuffing.

"I am asking my country's citizens, I am asking the Conseil Electoral Provisor, the government, and I'm telling the international community that as the leading candidate I'm asking for the formal cancellation of the elections," lead candidate Mirlande Manigat told CNN.

Her campaign manager, Wimine St. Pierre, said that Manigat "is asking to void the election across the entire territory of the country because of irregularities and the ballot boxes were already stuffed with votes for Jude Celestin," the hand-picked candidate of outgoing President Rene Preval.

Manigat, along with 11 other of the 18 presidential candidates, gathered at a hotel in Port-au-Prince for what contender Michel Martelly said was an event "to denounce today's massive fraud all over the country."

— "Haitian candidates allege widespread fraud in national election", CNN

PORT-AU-PRINCE –The streets of Haiti’s capital were a roiling sea of protest Sunday after 12 presidential candidates came together on a single stage to denounce the election as a massive fraud orchestrated by the Inite party of current president René Préval.

Speaking as one through independent candidate Josette Bijou, a former health minister, they called for Sunday’s election to be cancelled in mid-balloting and for all Haitians to take to the streets in peaceful protest.

It was a stunning turn of events, with partisans from all the campaigns joining to sing Haiti’s national anthem as 12 of the remaining 18 presidential candidates took the stage.

Word quickly spread, and thousands of people were soon running through streets, demanding Préval’s arrest and denouncing his chosen successor, Inite’s Jude Célestin.

By early evening, tens of thousands of supporters of candidate Michel Martelly, aka the singer Sweet Mickey, were swarming the Delmas neighbourhood.

— "Haiti candidates call election ‘massive fraud’", The Toronto Star