Haitians lined up to vote on Sunday August 09,2015 for the first time in four years, in
a test of stability for an impoverished country continually rocked by
political turmoil.
Parliament was dissolved in January after scheduled legislative elections in 2011 and 2014 had been canceled. The 119-member Chamber of Deputies has been sitting empty. The Senate, with only 10 of its 30 members, has failed to field a quorum.
President Michel Martelly has been ruling by decree since January. He took office in May 2011 and is in the final year of a five-year term.
Haiti,the Caribbean nation of about 10 million people has struggled to build a stable democracy ever since the overthrow of the dictatorship of the Duvalier family, who led Haiti from 1957 to 1986, and ensuing military coups and election fraud.
The parliamentary poll was held in order to fill two-thirds of the 30-member Senate and the entire 119-member Chamber of Deputies.
About 5.8 million people registered to vote to choose the deputies and 20
senators from 1,855 candidates registered from 128 political parties.
Haitian Prime Minister Evans Paul said the government was satisfied with the handling of the elections "despite the incidents that we would like to firmly condemn."
Elena Valenciano, head of the European Union's observation mission said, "Although there have been incidents in some polling centers, these problems have generally been corrected."
President Michel Martelly, who cannot run for re-election, has dozens of candidates running throughout the country under the so-called Haitian Bald Headed Party (PHTK), named after his famously smooth scalp. The Verite Party of former president Rene Preval and the Lavalas Family party, linked to twice-deposed former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, are also running candidates.
Results are expected in six to 10 days and runoffs are set for Oct. 25,2015 the same day as the first round of presidential voting.
Note
Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas. Its situation was made even worse in 2010 when an earthquake killed at least 100,000 people and more than half a million homes and commercial buildings were destroyed.
Parliament was dissolved in January after scheduled legislative elections in 2011 and 2014 had been canceled. The 119-member Chamber of Deputies has been sitting empty. The Senate, with only 10 of its 30 members, has failed to field a quorum.
President Michel Martelly has been ruling by decree since January. He took office in May 2011 and is in the final year of a five-year term.
Haiti,the Caribbean nation of about 10 million people has struggled to build a stable democracy ever since the overthrow of the dictatorship of the Duvalier family, who led Haiti from 1957 to 1986, and ensuing military coups and election fraud.
The parliamentary poll was held in order to fill two-thirds of the 30-member Senate and the entire 119-member Chamber of Deputies.
Haitian Prime Minister Evans Paul said the government was satisfied with the handling of the elections "despite the incidents that we would like to firmly condemn."
Elena Valenciano, head of the European Union's observation mission said, "Although there have been incidents in some polling centers, these problems have generally been corrected."
President Michel Martelly, who cannot run for re-election, has dozens of candidates running throughout the country under the so-called Haitian Bald Headed Party (PHTK), named after his famously smooth scalp. The Verite Party of former president Rene Preval and the Lavalas Family party, linked to twice-deposed former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, are also running candidates.
Results are expected in six to 10 days and runoffs are set for Oct. 25,2015 the same day as the first round of presidential voting.
Note
Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas. Its situation was made even worse in 2010 when an earthquake killed at least 100,000 people and more than half a million homes and commercial buildings were destroyed.
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