Haiti riots over presidential vote

Thousands of protestors have rampaged in Haiti, furious that their candidate did not get through the first round of the presidential election.
 
They lit burning barricades in the capital Port-au-Prince and set fire to the headquarters of the ruling government coalition they accuse of rigging the results.
 
Sporadic gunshots rang out after it was announced that the former first lady Mirlande Manigat would run head-to-head against Jude Celestin, who is a protege of the current president Rene Preval.
 
The US embassy hinted that Celestin might not deserve his place in the run off, saying the result may not be consistent with ‘the will of the people.’
 
The popular musician Michel Martelly failed to make the run off by about 1 per cent of the vote, and his supporters scent foul play.
 
Pro-Martelly activist Eloy Veltty said: “It’s a shame the people came out to vote for Michel Martelly, it seems that the Preval government is an embarrassment to us and it is not acceptable.”
 
Observers believe thousands of electors lost their right to vote because of the chaotic aftermath of January’s devastating earthquake and the current outbreak of cholera in Haiti.
 

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