Haiti to hold Presidential runoff

HAITi: Haiti: Haiti’s Presidential runoff election will be contested between Mirlande Manigat and Michel Martelly in March, and Jude Celestin, candidate of Haiti’s ruling Inite (Unity) Party, was out, the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) said Thursday.

“We have worked according to the formula and we are presenting a final statement with the results,” CEP President Gaillot Dorsainvil said while announcing the results of presidential vote recount.

United Nations Stabilization Mission Chief in Haiti Edmond Mulet later told the press that “the end of this stage should finish with a period of more than two months of uncertainty for the Haitian people.”

Jose Miguel Insulza, general secretary of the Organization of American States (OAS), said in Washington that Haitians should “calmly receive the results announced today (Thursday) and participate with trust in the elections” to be held on March 20.

Despite the adversity of the January 2010 earthquake, Haiti has proved its “civic and democratic will,” Insulza said, adding that he would continue his work to aid the Haitian authorities to prepare and hold the second round of elections.

Port-Au-Prince, Friday, Xinhua