Protests, Fraud Allegations Mar Haitian Election

Thousands took to the streets yesterday and accused President René Préval of rigging the election.

Results of Sunday’s vote aren’t due to be released until Dec. 7, but already opposition candidates and their supporters are saying the election was illegitimate. At a joint press conference Sunday, candidates accused Préval and the Provisional Electoral Commission of working together to steal the election, and called for peaceful protests. Some voters reported that their names weren’t on registration lists, while the names of many people killed in January’s earthquake were still on the voting rolls. A judge shut down one polling station after discovering a stuffed ballot box. Controversy surrounding the election threatens to seriously undermine the legitimacy of the government and derail international efforts to rebuild the country.