A neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Photo by Alsandro
Haiti, Latin America: Week in Review

Haiti To Announce Preliminary Runoff Election Results Today

April 4, 2011 By Staff

A neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Photo by Alsandro

Today in Latin America

Top Story — Today Haiti’s electoral council plans to announce the preliminary results from the country’s runoff election held last month.

The United Nations peacekeeping forces stepped up security across the country in anticipation of the announcement, The Miami Herald reports.

The results come after a four-day delay. The electoral council will not make a final decision in the runoff between former first lady Mirlande Manigat and popular musician Michel “Sweet Micky” Martelly until April 16.

The council found irregularities in over 14 percent of the 25,000 vote tally sheets, prompting fears that fraud may have marred the runoff election, as it had November’s first-round contest.

The winner of the election inherits a country still devastated by last year’s earthquake, as well some $10 billion in international aid that foreign governments and institutions pledged to help Haiti recover. International donors have held off on releasing funds until the new administration peacefully assumes power, Agence France-Presse reports.

The race remains close, with both contenders’ supporters confident of victory, according to AFP.

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Image: Alsandro @ Wikicommons.

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