Protests mar Haiti vote count, one person dead
By Patrick Moser
AFP
PORT-AU-PRINCE
Petroleumworld.com 02 14 06
An eruption of gunfire left one person dead Monday in Port-au-Prince,
amid protests over the result of Haiti's presidential election.
UN peacekeepers deployed around the Haitian capital, where crowds
protested partial results that showed frontrunner Rene Preval
narrowly missing the 50 percent he needs to be elected president
without going to a second round.
Television showed the lifeless body of a man wearing a bloodied
T-shirt with the picture of Rene Preval, a former president who
enjoys widespread support among the poor.
A UN spokesman denied claims by demonstrators that a member of
the 9,500-strong UN Stabilization Force in Haiti (MINUSTAH) shot
the protesters, saying the troops had only fired two shots in
the air.
The spokesman, David Wimhurst said gunfire erupted after the troops
had left the immediate vicinity of the incident, near Port-au-Prince's
international airport.
There were also reports that several people were wounded.
At one stage, a small group of protesters hurled rocks at a Nigerian
peacekeeper, who emerged unhurt and eventually managed to calm
down the crowd.
Preval followers used car wrecks, rocks and burning tires to block
major avenues, paralyzing the city and causing businesses to shutter
their doors.
Brazil, which leads the UN force, asked the United States to organize
a UN Security Council meeting on the new tensions in Haiti. The
United States, which is president of the security council for
February, urged Haitians to respect the outcome of the elections.
Preval was expected to make a statement later in the day.
Crowds gathered outside the Provisional Electoral Offices (CEP)
demanding that Preval be declared president immediately, and claiming
the vote count was fraudulent.
They also stormed the gates of the Montana hotel, where the CEP
had announced partial results in past days. Demonstrators jumped
into the pool of the luxury hotel and danced on the tennis court,
chanting, "Preval president." UN helicopters landed
reinforcements on the hotel rooftop.
Former South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu urged the
demonstrators to remain calm and leave the hotel, which they eventually
did.
"You must show the world that you abhor fighting," the
Nobel peace laureate said, speaking from a hotel terrace.
Haiti's interim prime minister Gerard Latortue also called for
an end to protests.
"A little calm, a little patience. The will of the people
will be respected," Latortue said in a televised speech.
"The victory will not be stolen."
Demonstrations were also reported in Cap-Haitien, the second largest
city, and other parts of the impoverished Caribbean country.
Similar protests two years ago turned into a popular uprising
that forced Jean Bertrand Aristide, Haiti's last elected president,
to flee. Haiti has been rocked by turmoil since, but the violence
eased shortly before the February 7 elections.
Monday's demonstrations started after authorities announced the
latest partial results, showing Preval had 48.76 percent of the
vote with 90 percent of the ballots tallied.
Preval, 63, a former president and a champion of the poor had
a huge lead over his 31 rivals, several of whom have said they
would support him in a second round.
At least one of the candidates claimed irregularities in the vote
count.
"I am ready to accept Mr, Preval's victory if it is proved
that the vote was manipulated," said Jean Chavannes Jeune,
who placed fourth with five percent of the vote.
A
runoff would be held on March 19, with Preval running against
Leslie Manigat, 75, also a former president, who so far has 11.8
percent in the partial results.
Preval was president from 1996 to 2001. A former ally of Aristide,
he served as prime minister in his government in 1991, but his
aides say the two men are no longer in contact.
AFP
02/13/06
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© 2006 AFP. All rights reserved
