Haiti: Voters wait for presidential election results

Election officials in Haiti are counting ballots from Sunday’s vote, a lengthy process that will take at least a week before producing preliminary results.

The ballots were being trucked from around the countryside to tabulation centers in the capital, Port-au-Prince, where the votes were logged twice to ensure reliability.

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) observers say Sunday’s vote was largely free of major problems and the confusion that plagued parliamentary elections in August.

Prime Minister Evans Paul praised what he said were transparent elections. “With these elections, we have gained the image of a responsible country, capable of democratically naming its leaders,” he said earlier this week.

Haitians voted for a new president from more than 50 candidates running for the country’s top office, as well as casting ballots for lawmakers and local officials.

A runoff presidential vote will be held in December between the top two candidates.

Two candidates have emerged as serious contenders in the race – Jude Celestin, who was eliminated from the second round in the controversial 2010 vote following an OAS recount, and Maryse Narcisse, a physician who has the backing of former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide.