Page 11 - ATODAY
P. 11
WORLD NEWS A11
Monday 11 January 2016
In Haiti election, only 1 presidential candidate campaigning
DAVID McFADDEN to improve transparency Presidential candidate Jovenel Moise, center, from the PHTK party, greets supporters while cam-
Associated Press for the final round, special paigning in Petion-Ville, Haiti. Government-backed contender Moise held his first runoff rally late
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) commission spokesman Friday.
— Campaigning for Haiti’s Rosny Desroches has said
presidential runoff election he has seen very little prog- (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)
kicked off this weekend, ress to improve the process
though it appears there is and ease tensions since the runoff for Jan. 24 was a candidate was campaign- candidate in a presidential
only one candidate who the panel’s recommen- “step in the right direction.” ing left many perplexed election.
will actively participate. dations were released last A mood of confusion was and some expressed doubt How can that be possible?”
Government-backed con- weekend. palpable in the capital the elections could reason- asked food vendor Karine
tender Jovenel Moise, a Unless Celestin officially of Port-au-Prince as cam- ably take place under such Fenelon, who said she was
little-known agricultural withdraws from the race paigning opened for the circumstances. so turned off by Haiti’s ver-
entrepreneur who led a his name will appear on once-postponed presiden- “I’ve never heard about sion of democracy that
crowded field of 54 can- the runoff ballot whether tial and legislative runoffs. this happening in any nor- she’s abstained from vot-
didates with nearly 33 per- he chooses to campaign That only one presidential mal country: Only one ing for years.q
cent of the vote in the Oct. or not, Provisional Electoral
25 first round, attracted Council spokesman Roudy
roughly 1,500 people to Stanley Penn said Friday.
his first rally Friday evening. “Until he sends us a letter
Big speakers pumped out saying he is withdrawing
bass-heavy songs featur- he will be on the ballots for
ing his campaign moniker, the final round and people
“Neg Bannann” — Banana can choose to vote for
Man in Haitian Creole — him,” Penn said.
and a group of women The U.N., the U.S. govern-
wore yellow banana cos- ment and other foreign
tumes. governments that monitor
But the campaign team of Haiti strongly support hold-
the second-place finisher, ing the final round of elec-
Jude Celestin, was quiet a tions this month so a trans-
day after saying he would fer of power to a new presi-
take part in the Jan. 24 run- dent can take place by a
off only if sweeping chang- Feb. 7 constitutional dead-
es recently recommended line. The Organization of
by a special commission American States said Thurs-
were adopted first to im- day that the scheduling of
prove Haiti’s much-criti-
cized electoral machinery. Police arrest 2 in British man’s disappearance
Celestin, a former state
construction chief, told The GEORGETOWN, Guyana Blanhum said 22-year-old of Mr. Bernard. We are in young male found in the
Miami Herald on Thursday (AP) — Authorities in the Aaron Hing was arrested contact with his relatives southeastern region of Ber-
that outgoing President South American nation of Friday night as he tried to in Britain. Hing did admit to bice could be that of Ber-
Michel Martelly “will have Guyana said this weekend check into a hotel and having some involvement nard. Bernard flew to Guy-
to do an election with just they have arrested two a second suspect in dis- in this matter, and it is all I ana in October to visit Hing
one candidate.” His phone suspects in the disappear- appearance of Dominic am going to say for now,” and police say the men
consistently goes unan- ance of an 18-year-old Brit- Bernard of Epsom was de- Blanhum told The Associ- were close. Relatives who
swered and his campaign ish man and said they may tained early Saturday. Hing ated Press. Blanhum also had lost contact with Ber-
leaders did not respond to have found his body. “has confessed to involve- said authorities suspect the nard traveled to Guyana to
calls this weekend. Police Crime Chief Wendell ment in the disappearance decomposing body of a ask the public to help find
While the Provisional Elec- him. q
toral Council has pledged
