Haiti Candidates: Throw Out the Vote

Claiming voter fraud on the part of outgoing leader René Preval in order to install his chosen candidate, 12 of the 19 contenders jockeying to be the next president of Haiti have called for today’s election to be canceled and the votes thrown out. “Arrest Preval!” crowds chanted at a rally on Sunday as the candidates gathered to mobilize citizens against the election. “We are asking the men and women to organize peacefully against the Preval government,” read a statement from the candidates. They didn’t offer any proof of their claims, however. The election is considered pivotal to stabilizing the country after its earthquake and cholera outbreak—and many foreign governments are withholding pledged aid until a new administration gets on its feet.