Angry protestors react to preliminary Haiti presidential election results

Source: Miami Herald


PETIONVILLE, Haiti -- Hundreds of supporters of a popular Haitian musician who did not make it into Haiti's presidential runoff ran through the streets waving his pink poster and sticks Wednesday morning to denounce the preliminary election results.

``They don't want to see Martelly,'' the group of young men chanted as they ran past a public plaza turned into a homeless camp for victims of the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake. Martelly refers to well-known Haitian konpa artist, and one-time part-time Miami resident Michel ``Sweet Micky'' Martelly.

Later, they demanded the departure of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission known as MINUSTAH. Sporadic rock and bottle throwing also were reported in Haiti's second largest city, Cap-Haitien in the north, where anti-UN protests erupted just a few weeks ago.

At least one airline, American, cancelled flights to Haiti Wednesday.

The protests come after a night of sporadic gunfire and protesters set tires ablaze in Port-au-Prince after election officials announced Haitian President Réne Préval's handpicked successor, Jude Célestin, will head to a runoff with former first lady Mirlande Manigat while Martelly will not.

The U.S. embassy immediately questioned the results saying ``like others, the government of the United States is concerned by the Provisional Electoral Council's announcement of preliminary results.''

The statement said the results were ``inconsistent with the published results'' of the National Election Observation Council, which had more than 5,500 observers. It had Martelly headed into a runoff with Manigat. But the results were based on just 15 percent of the returns.



Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/08/1963111/manigat-celestin-appear-headed.html#ixzz17XMEqJ5C

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/08/1963111/manigat-celestin-appear-headed.html