A man waits to enter a polling station in Port-au-Prince during Haiti's presidential runoff election on Sunday.SHANNON STAPLETON/Reuters
The leader Haitians have deemed best fit to guide their struggling nation toward a brighter future will remain unknown until the middle of next week when official results are released of the country's second attempt in six months to elect a new president.
Noticeably fewer people ventured out to election polls Sunday than during last November's vote, when violence and disorganization marred the day. There were still plenty of barriers to casting ballots this time around in the runoff between a popular singer and a former first lady: polls that were supposed to open at 6 a.m. remained shuttered until mid-day across Port-au-Prince because ballots, boxes or ink used to mark voters' fingers had not been delivered. Many people complained that they could not find their name on voter lists at polling stations despite having registered.
Long waits and confusion prompted some voters to give up their effort and return home without casting ballots. Others endured the wait, but mounted small demonstrations to show their frustration, which police and United Nations' security officials worked to diffuse.
Haiti's political atmosphere was already tense - former left-wing president Jean-Bertrand Aristide returned unexpectedly on Friday from a six-year exile in South Africa, fuelling populist calls for a revival of his political career. Aristide supporters rallied across the country; some said they would refuse to vote for a new president and others demanded that he declare his preference for a candidate.
Mr. Aristide remained silent throughout the day Sunday, backing neither 50-year-old Haitian singer Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly nor law professor and former first lady Mirlande Manigat. The pair were the top two vote recipients in the initial post-quake election attempt, which featured 18 candidates and widespread fraud and disorganization. Since then, skepticism of the validity of the election has raged despite the fact that the Caribbean nation is badly in need of a skilled and committed leader.
An earthquake in January of 2010 that measured 7.0 on the Richter scale caused an estimated $9-billion in damage, killed more than 200,000 people and rendered a tenth of the country's population homeless. About 800,000 of those still live destitute, in tented encampments with no access to schools, nutritious food or jobs.
Election officials decided on Sunday to extend voting hours for an extra hour in many parts of Port-au-Prince to make up for delays in opening. That wasn't enough to convince 25-year-old Jasmin Nestor to return to the polling station where he spent several hours waiting Sunday morning before giving up. After waiting for nearly three hours, he heard rumblings in the crowd about starting a demonstration that he feared would turn violent.
"I want the country to change, but I don't want to be in the middle of pushing," he said. "If I can't vote, I can't vote."
Observers on the ground said turnout in the nation's capital was low compared to last November's vote. Then, only 14 per cent of registered voters cast their ballots. Outside Port-au-Prince there were some reports of violence. One man was killed in the Artibonite, a region north of the city known as the country's rice basket. It was unclear whether the shooting was accidental or deliberate.
In Port-au-Prince, reports that Haitian-American rap star Wyclef Jean was shot in the hand during a demonstration set off a media frenzy. Police working in the upscale neighborhood told Reuters that his hand was cut by broken glass. A spokesman for the singer could not clarify the situation.
By the time polls closed, it remained unclear which candidate will be more likely to emerge the winner. Mr. Martelly and Ms. Manigat had observers at polling stations to watch for improprieties. Both have also declared their intentions to win and encouraged their supporters to take to the streets Monday in protest if results seem fishy.
Anecdotally, incidents of fraud seemed low.
Frantz Cine, 19, arrived at the General Hospital polling station near the presidential palace around 5 a.m. to monitor votes for Mr. Martelly, whom he supports. Waiting for him was a lineup of about 100 people, he said. He spent the day watching for things such as people trying to vote twice or police attempting to influence voters. Rules prevented Mr. Cine from lobbying anyone to vote for Mr. Martelly, whom he hopes will come out on top.
"I don't think any other candidates can bring us the light and freedom," he said.
Official results are expected to be released on March 31 by Haiti's electoral authority.