Demonstrators demand Preval be declared president of Haiti



By Patrick Moser
AFP
PORT-AU-PRINCE
Petroleumworld.com 02 13 06

More than 10,000 people demonstrated in the Haitian capital Sunday demanding Rene Preval be declared president, despite partial results that put him just shy of the 50 percent needed to win the election outright.

Results announced earlier in the day and based on 75 percent of the ballots showed that Preval, a former president, had 49.1 percent of the vote, short of the majority he needs to avoid a runoff election.

Several hours before the final outcome of the February 7 election was to be announced, residents of dirt-poor shantytowns poured into the streets of Port-au-Prince for a second consecutive day, chanting "Preval president."

The demonstrators marched and danced in a carnival atmosphere, and had no doubt the victory went to Preval, who enjoys widespread support among the millions of impoverished Haitians.

Tension mounted as the protesters stopped in front of the electoral council's offices, where only a few Haitian police, armed with automatic weapons, were in evidence.

Pro-Preval marches were also staged in other parts of the country, according to radio stations.

Members of the 9,500-strong UN military and police force took position in key parts of the capital amid concern of a renewed explosion of violence if Preval fails be declared victorious.

Should the balloting go to a runoff, scheduled for March 19, Preval, 63, would likely compete against Leslie Manigat, 75, also a former president, who had 11.7 percent in the partial results.

Authorities urged Haitians to await and respect the outcome of the presidential and legislative elections when it is eventually announced.

"I urge the population not to demonstrate so as not to soil such a pure and magnanimous act, because such demonstrations could lead to violence," electoral council director Jacques Bernard said on Saturday.

Former South African Anglican archbishop and Nobel peace laureate Desmond Tutu made his own appeal for peace and reconciliation during an ecumenical service at the Sainte Trinite Cathedral in downtown Port-au-Prince.

"The people of Haiti say yes to peace ... no to revenge," he told worshipers, which included government officials and foreign diplomats.

"Long live peace," said Tutu, who is on a four-day visit to Haiti.

"You have shown the world you are not a violent people," he said in reference to the elections, which were largely free of violence.

While there were no immediate reports of incidents in the weekend marches, a senior UN official in Haiti said that if Preval were not elected in the first round "there is a risk of violent demonstrations."

Charles Jean Robert, a 45-year-old teacher who took part in Sunday's march, was convinced Preval had triumphed with a huge majority of the votes and that electoral authorities were tampering with the results.

"Preval has already won," said Robert. "Everybody voted for Preval."

Preval is a one-time ally of Jean Bertrand Aristide, the former president who resigned and fled Haiti in February 2004 amid popular discontent and diplomatic pressure from Washington and Paris.

Preval was president from 1996 to 2001, served as prime minister under Aristide in 1991, but his aides say the two men are no longer in contact.

Like Aristide before him, Preval is often seen as a champion of the poor, who make up 77 percent of Haiti's population of 8.5 million.

Despite a late and at times chaotic start after four postponements since November, international observers said the election was a triumph for a dirt-poor country with a history of violence and fraudulent balloting.

Authorities estimated turnout at 63 percent of the 3.5 million registered voters.

AFP 02/12/06

Copyright © 2006 AFP. All rights reserved

 

 

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