Front-runner René Préval on Tuesday decried ”massive fraud or gross errors” in Haiti’s presidential election, insisted he won outright, and urged supporters to continue protesting.
The presidency promptly announced the formation of a commission to investigate the claims and called for final results of the February 7 election to be kept under wraps until the probe is completed.
Préval, who was president from 1996 to 2001, dismissed partial results, based on 90% of the ballots, that gave him a huge lead over his rivals but put him short of the 50% needed to avoid a second round of voting.
The United Nations Security Council, as well as the United States and French governments, urged all Haitians to respect the outcome, but Préval said he had explained his position to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who called him on Monday.
”We are convinced that massive fraud or gross errors soil the electoral process,” Préval told a news conference, saying he would contest the results unless they were corrected.
”We are convinced that we will win in the first round,” said Préval, who enjoys strong support among the millions of impoverished Haitians.
Local media reported that several filled ballot boxes had been found in a garbage dump outside Port-au-Prince. Television showed pictures of angry Haitians holding up ballots and complaining of fraud.
Huge crowds took to the streets again late on Tuesday for the fourth consecutive day, setting tires alight, marching, jogging and chanting Préval’s name.
The ever-growing crowd of men, women and children poured from the hills and seaside shantytowns onto the main avenues of the capital late at night.
Earlier, groups of demonstrators had marched, but the city was generally calm, with many Haitians opting to stay home and stores remaining shuttered.
On Monday, Préval supporters had taken over the streets of the capital, blocking roads with car wrecks, rocks and flaming tires, and storming the gates of a luxury hotel.
Presidential chief of staff Michel Brunach said earlier on Tuesday he hoped the probe would ease the tensions.
He said the commission would be made up of members of the electoral council and Préval’s Espwa (Hope) party, with the government acting as mediator.
Préval, who spoke before the announcement by the presidency, urged Haitians to continue their protests, but to keep them peaceful.
A Préval supporter was shot dead on Monday following an incident involving members of the 9 500-strong UN Stabilisation Force in Haiti (Minustah). A UN spokesperson insisted the death occurred after the departure of the troops, who he said had fired warning shots in the air.
American Airlines canceled its daily flights to Miami for the second day running, and Air Canada’s weekly flight to Haiti was also canceled on Tuesday.
Former South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who spent four days in Haiti, was airlifted to the neighbouring Dominican Republic in a military helicopter.
Massive protests two years ago turned into a popular uprising that forced Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Haiti’s last elected president, to flee.
Préval is a former ally of Aristide, in whose government he served as prime minister in 1991. But his aides said the two were no longer in contact.
Should Préval fail to win outright, he would face-off in March with second-placed Leslie Manigat (75) also a former president. Manigat scored 11,8% of the vote.
In New York, the UN Security Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to renew Minustah’s mandate for at least another six months. The force was established in 2004 as turmoil continued after Aristide’s departure.
The council congratulated Haitians for holding the balloting and expressed full support for Minustah’s efforts to help ”ensure a secure and stable environment after the elections”. – AFP