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OAS Welcomes Release of Haiti Vote Results

   VOA News  April 05, 2011

Photo: OEA

   OAS Secretary-General José Miguel Insulza (file photo)

   The Organization of American States has welcomed Haiti's release of
   presidential runoff election results, which show singer Michel Martelly
   winning by a large margin.
   Haiti's electoral council released preliminary results Monday from the
   legislative and presidential elections on March 20. The figures show
   Martelly won nearly 68 percent of the vote to defeat former first lady
   Mirlande Manigat. Final results are due to be released April 16.
   In a statement Tuesday, OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza
   congratulated the people of Haiti for exercising their civic
   responsibility in a calm atmosphere, and he saluted their patience as
   the results were tabulated.
   The United States said Haiti's vote was "an important milestone." The
   U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince is urging Haitians to continue to
   express themselves peacefully in the hope that all political factions
   can resolve any outstanding questions about the electoral results.
   Martelly has never held political office, and analysts say he has a
   tough job ahead. Much of Port-au-Prince is still in ruins from the
   January 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people, and
   hundreds of thousands of Haitians still live in tent camps.
   A cholera epidemic has killed thousands and the country is rife with
   poverty and unemployment.
   Manigat won the first round of the presidential election in November.
   Ruling party candidate Jude Celestin initially was declared the
   second-place finisher and entered in the runoff, but that ruling
   triggered violent protests by Martelly's supporters.
   After reviewing the election, the OAS found fraud had been committeed
   and recommended that Martelly be entered in the second-round vote
   instead of Celestin.

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