Haiti Braces For Violence After Election Verdict

The preliminary results of the country's presidential elections are inconsistent with international observers' reports.

There is more trouble brewing in Haiti. The Provisional Electoral Council has announced a run-off election in January between the top two vote-getters in last month’s election, and to the surprise of international monitoring groups government-backed candidate Jude Celestin made the cut. Celestin, who is the chosen successor of current president Rene Preval, will face Mirlande Minigat in the run-off, even though monitors predicted Celestin had been beaten by singer Michel (Sweet Micky) Martelly. Hours after the run-off was announced Tuesday, burning barricades were set up in Port-Au-Prince and gunshots rang out in the streets. The election on Nov. 28 was marred by reports of ballot-stuffing and fraud, and many Haitians have called for its results to be cancelled.