Haiti: Jovenel Moise apparently wins presidential vote
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Jovenel Moise, the hand-picked candidate of Haiti’s previous elected leader, apparently won the presidential election outright against 26 rivals, according to preliminary results announced late Monday that gave him 55.6 per cent of the votes.
Moise was the leading contender in first-round presidential balloting last year and headed for a runoff. But the second round was repeatedly derailed amid fraud allegations and the results were eventually annulled after a Haitian commission reported finding what appeared to be significant irregularities and misconduct.
This time no runoff will apparently be needed because Moise, an agricultural entrepreneur and candidate of former President Michel Martelly’s Tet Kale party, got over 50 per cent in the Nov. 20 election redo and also led his nearest competitor by well over 25 percentage points. Either result was enough to win under Haiti’s election rules.
“The Haitian people have made their choice and voted for me in the first round. Thank you all for your trust. Long live Haiti!” Moise wrote on his Twitter account.