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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Haiti rivals reject recount plan |
| 2010-12-12 |
| [Al Jizz] Two of the top three candidates from Haiti's presidential election have rejected a planned vote recount amid allegations of irregularities and fraud. Mirlande Manigat, a former first lady, and Michel Martelly, a popular musician, said on Saturday that they would not take part in the planned recount, to be under taken by a new electoral commission. "I don't want to be a part of this," Martelly was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying. "They organised the fraud and I am positive they are prepared to do everything to remain in power. It's a trap." Six Haitian monitoring groups, including the European Union-funded National Observation Council, also rejected the plan. They called instead for a proper dialogue, saying plans to recount the tally sheets "are not sufficient to lead to an eventual end to the crisis". 'Right to choose' Tensions have intensified in Haiti since the November 28 election. Violent protests broke out in Haiti's major cities last week after the Provisional Electoral Council announced that Manigat and Jude Celestin, the outgoing president's protege, had won enough votes to go through to a run-off election. The council said Martelly had come third. His supporters accused Rene Preval, the president, and the ruling Inite (Unity) coalition of rigging the vote. The US embassy in Port-au-Prince expressed concern at the "inconsistent" results, and a top senator called for US aid to be frozen and travel visas to be denied to top Haitian officials to force a fair outcome. "As if Haiti did not have enough problems, now, once again, those in power there are trying to subvert the will of the people," said Patrick Leahy, who chairs the senate committee responsible for funding foreign aid. "The United States must come down squarely in support of the Haitian people's right to choose their leaders freely and fairly." |
| Posted by:Fred |