AMERICA/HAITI - Michel Martelly, new President with 67 percent of the vote, makes appeal for national reconciliation

Port au Prince (Agenzia Fides) – Haiti officially has a new President, singer Michel Martelly, who won the election over moderate candidate Mirlande Manigat, with more than 67% of the preferences. It was a highly contested result, in that Manigat alleged grave irregularities in the electoral processes. After the devastating earthquake more than a year ago, which resulted in more than 320,000 deaths and left 700,000 people homeless, and a further 5,000 deaths related to cholera, Haiti remains the poorest Country of Latin America. In a press conference after victory in the presidential elections over rival, Mirlande Manigat, Martelly called himself “President for all Haitians”.
Citizens voted for change in the Country he said, adding that “Haiti, democracy and public freedom” were the winners in the election. (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 06/04/2011)