Loud appeals by Haitian electoral officials for calm and patience as vote counting continues have been falling on deaf ears, with political parties and citizens clamoring for the results of Sunday’s first round of presidential elections.
For several days, demonstrators have led violent protests on the streets of the capital, Port-au-Prince, clashing with law enforcers as some of the main political parties each claim victory. The Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) declared that the results of the poll would not be released until next Monday, and in a statement urged the public to ignore any premature victory announcements. More than two dozen candidates competed in Sunday’s vote where six billion Haitians were eligible to cast their ballots.