Not So Fast
I recently posted that Rene Preval had won Haiti’s presidential election, linking an article that credited him with winning 60% of the vote. Apparently I wrote to soon:
With about 90 per cent of the vote counted, Preval was leading with 48.7 per cent, Haiti’s electoral council said on its website. His nearest opponent was Leslie Manigat, another former president, who had 11.8 per cent.
But of the 2.2 million ballots cast, about 125,000 ballots have been declared invalid because of irregularities, raising suspicion among Preval supporters that polling officials were rigging the election. (CBC)
If Preval finishes with less than 50% of the vote, then he will have to face his nearest opponent in a runoff election. His supporters have taken to the streets, protesting against the alleged vote-rigging, and at least one protester has been killed. Preval, an Aristide ally has said that Aristide would be free to return to Haiti if he were elected. So, it looks like Haiti is in store for yet more unrest, and perhaps yet more interference from the United States, who backed the coup that deposed Aristide in 2004. Yuck.