Presidential run-off marred with glitches

AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CMC):

The Lack of critical voting material led to delays in some polling centres during yesterday's run-off election for the presidency and national assembly.

"There are some delays, which is almost normal and they have some technical problems. In some places they don't have ballot boxes or ballots or the CEP (Provisional Electoral Council) representatives are not in place," United Nations Stabilisation Mission Head Edmond Mulet told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) while on a tour of polling stations.

However, Mulet would not be drawn into discussing how the problems might affect the poll.

Only one of the four polling centres visited had actually opened at the prescribed time of 6 a.m. while others were unable to start some two hours later.

Benoit Charette, a Canadian MP with the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie was among the hundreds of observers. He expressed concern that many of the documents needed for the voting process had failed to reach all the polling stations in time.

No material

"Last time, I began my day with these two centres (in Petionville). It was quite problematic ... also it's the same thing this morning but it's worse this morning because last time they had all their material, they only began late. But this time they will begin late but they don't have the material to begin."

Scores of voters and onlookers surrounded the Lycee School in Petionville as voting failed to start some two hours after the scheduled time.

When officials arrived with the needed material, residents surrounded the vehicle and voiced their displeasure. It was at that point that a section of the group broke out with a loud 'moo' - a nod of support toward Presidential candidate Michel Martelly, whose ballot symbol is the bull.

Yesterday's run-off came nearly four months after a first round that was plagued with problems.

Since then CEP, after recommendations were made by the Joint Organisation of American States (OAS)/CARICOM Observation Mission, made several changes designed to correct problems experienced in the previous poll.

In an effort to improve the electoral process, the CEP has fired nearly 250 polling agents and supervisors who were linked to some of the widespread irregularities on the November 28 poll.

The presidency was not the only political office at stake during yesterday's vote. There were still 76 out of 99 departmental seats or 'Dipites' and seven out of 11 senators to be determined.

More than four million people were registered to vote throughout the 11,182 voting centres around the country.