HAITI: Thousands celebrate likely presidential election victory of Rene Preval as South African religious leader Desmond Tutu arrives for official visit

Record ID: 214554

  • Title: HAITI: Thousands celebrate likely presidential election victory of Rene Preval as South African religious leader Desmond Tutu arrives for official visit
  • Date: 12th February 2006
  • Summary: SOUTH AFRICAN RELIGIOUS LEADER DESMOND TUTU ARRIVING
  • Embargoed: 27th February 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Haiti
  • Country: Haiti
  • Topics: Domestic Politics,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA3UMKM3S3EF2HQZWFYFH31ECNB
  • Story Text: Thousands poured into the streets of Haiti's notoriously violent slum of Cite Soleil on Saturday (February 11) to celebrate for the first time what looks like a probable victory for presidential candidate Rene Preval.
    Preval is a former ally of ousted president Jean-Bertrand Aristide and had solid support in Port-au-Prince's poverty-stricken neighbourhoods.
    Although only fifty percent of the votes had been counted as of Friday (February 10) night, Preval seemed to be heading to an easy victory, coming in 39 percentage points ahead of his nearest rival Leslie Manigat.
    Preval's supporters have been quiet as the vote-counting has continued since Tuesday's (February 07) presidential election. Saturday's march was the first sign of celebrations in Haiti's capital.
    The demonstration started small, but hundreds latched on and it swelled to some three thousand people. The group headed to the National Palace where several more fevered supporters tore down campaign posters of other candidates hanging on the palace gates.
    Preval has been the favoured candidate, but needs to win more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a March 19 run-off.
    Vote counting continues and the CEP may announce more results on Saturday (February 11).
    Marc Bazin is one of the 33 presidential candidates who ran. Although he lost, he is a Preval ally and may likely become the country's next Prime Minister. He said he was pleased with the results and congratulated the country's citizens.
    "But it so happens that the people won because they stood there, they decided to vote and did not panic," he told Reuters in an exclusive interview.
    He also addressed a question hovering in the air - whether Aristide would try to return to Haiti under a Preval administration.
    "If Mr. (former Haitian president Jean-Bertrande) Aristide were to arrive at the airport this morning, the people would get to the streets with enthusiasm, with a thirst for revenge and there would be a lot of disturbances," he said.
    However, he added that he believed all Haitians had a right to live in Haiti.
    Meanwhile, South African religious leader Desmond Tutu arrived for an official visit. He had a message of encouragement for the Haitian people.
    "To tell them [the Haitian people] that God loves them. This is very important that they know despite all of the problems they have had. It doesn't mean they are God's stepchildren. God loves them," he said.
    Tutu met with outgoing President Boniface Alexandre later in the afternoon. On Sunday (February 12) he will give a mass in Port-au-Prince's main cathedral and on Monday (February 13) he will travel to the second-largest city of Cap-Haitien.
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