First post-quake election campaign opens in Haiti

FEATURE

09/29/2010
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Campaigning starts Monday in Haiti’s first election since the devastating January earthquake, amid security concerns and with many of the country’s 4.5 million eligible voters living in refugee camps.

Presidential and legislative elections are scheduled for Nov. 28 in a country still recovering from a massive quake that killed at least 250,000 persons and left 1.5 million homeless.

“I hope this election doesn’t become a battleground, where aggressive campaigners try to destroy their rivals instead of expounding their ideas,” outgoing President Rene Preval said Sunday.

Preval, who served two consecutive five-year terms in office and cannot run for reelection, fears there could be unrest during the two-month campaign and vote-counting irregularities later.

“We’ve got enough candidates for these elections: 850 for 99 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, 95 for 11 seats in the Senate and 19 for president,” Preval said.

“What I’m afraid of is low voter participation and security problems,” he said..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100929com3.html