Haiti's presidential run-off ends

Monday, March 21, 2011

Port-Au-Prince - Haiti's presidential run-off between former first lady Mirlande Manigat and singer Michel Martelly ended on Sunday in peace after an extension of one more hour of voting time in the capital city.

The results will be unveiled on Monday.

The voting center closed at 5pm local time (2200 GMT) as the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) decided to postpone the opening time by one more hour in the capital city due to poor logistic backup.

CEP president Gaillot Dorsinvil said he was satisfied with the voting and admitted there were some logistic problems in many voting centers, mainly in the west of the country.

Haitian authorities reported one death during the run-off. Shootings were also reported in several parts of the country, but no casualties were reported.

However, Edmond Mulet, chief of the UN Stabilisation Mission in Haiti, said: "There is no violence. Everything is fine and everything is [developing] in peace."

The UN mission in Haiti deployed 9 000 soldiers and 2 000 policemen across the country to safeguard peace during the elections.

Mulet also thanked China for contributing policemen to the mission and praised their hard work.