Protesters vow to derail Haiti presidential vote; election offices burned

Port-au-Prince: Stone-throwing protesters took to the streets of Haiti`s capital on Monday to demand the suspension of a January 24 run-off Presidential Election over alleged irregularities, while in rural areas unknown attackers burned several electoral offices.

Haiti is due to hold a run-off vote backed by international donors on Sunday, but tensions have risen since the opposition candidate Jude Celestin said last week he would withdraw, on grounds that electoral authorities favoured the ruling party.

Swiss-trained engineer Celestin, 53, came second in an October first-round vote in the poor Caribbean nation, beaten by banana-exporter Jovenel Moise, 47, the ruling party candidate.

Accompanied by a man playing trumpet, the several thousand-strong crowd grew angrier as it moved from poor neighbourhoods into downtown Port-au-Prince. Some protesters burned vehicles, threw rocks and attacked a petrol-pump.

"If I have to take up weapons I will do that. I have done it in the past," said slum-resident Jaques Madiou, 40, who said he had taken up arms after Haiti`s first democratically elected president Jean-Bertrand Aristide was forced from power in 2004.

Elections and transfers of power in Haiti have long been plagued by instability, and international observers said October`s vote was relatively smooth. However, several of the 54 candidates said the government had twisted the results.

Monday`s protesters demanded the creation of an interim government and fresh elections to be held after President Michel Martelly leaves office in February. They included several opposition groups including the Platform Pitit Desalin and supporters of opposition candidate Celestin.

"We declare this week the rebellion week to block the January 24 election. We will protest in front of each voting booth and voting centre," said Assad Volcy, deputy secretary general for Pitit Desalin.

"When Martelly leaves on February 07 we want a provisional government to evaluate the electoral process and complete it," he said.

In the north of the country unknown assailants burned four offices belonging to the electoral council, blamed by many critics for irregularities in the October vote. Four members of the electoral council have resigned in recent days.

The election authority said it condemned acts of violence and vowed to go ahead with the vote on Sunday.