Haiti police clash with protesters awaiting poll results

  • Published
Supporters of the Fanmi Lavalas party presidential candidate, Maryse Narcisse, protest in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 22 November 2016Image source, EPA
Image caption,

Supporters of the Fanmi Lavalas party clashed with police for a second consecutive day

Police in Haiti have clashed with supporters of presidential candidate Maryse Narcisse, as the country awaits results of Sunday's elections.

Both Ms Narcisse's party and that of another presidential candidate, Jovenel Moise, are claiming victory.

But official results are not expected before the end of the week.

Vote counting in elections is often slow but has been further delayed this time due to widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Matthew.

Haiti voted in presidential, parliamentary and local elections on Sunday.

Supporters of Ms Narcisse and her Fanmi Lavalas party threw rocks and set tyres alight in the capital, Port-au-Prince, on Monday and Tuesday.

Image source, AFP
Image caption,

Supporters of Maryse Narcisse are convinced she has won

Election officials called for calm and for people to be patient while the counting continued.

They said more than half of the tally sheets had now reached the capital from outlying areas.

They also warned the public not to believe what they called "pseudo-results".

Twenty-seven candidates ran in the much-delayed presidential election.

It was held more than a year after the previous poll was annulled following allegations of widespread fraud.

Observers said that Sunday's elections went off relatively smoothly.

Image source, AP
Image caption,

Counting is under way but a result is not expected until Sunday at the earliest, officials said

Supporters of Mr Moise, of the Parti Haitien Tet Kale (Haitian Bald Head Party), even sent out text messages saying that a second round would not be necessary given the size of his lead.

In Haiti, a presidential election goes into a run-off if none of the candidates wins more than 50% of the vote.

Whoever is eventually declared the winner will face the challenge of reconstructing a country that has been ravaged by natural disasters.

The most recent, Hurricane Matthew, destroyed 90% of some of Haiti's southern areas.