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Steadfast Haitians turn out for vote

Despite problems and delays, residents cast ballots in far greater numbers than expected.

By DAVID ADAMS
Published February 8, 2006

No one expected voting to go smoothly. After all, Tuesday heralded Haiti's first presidential election since a bloody revolt two years ago plunged the country into chaos. The election date was postponed four times amid concern that Haiti's Electoral Council was ill-prepared.

Polling stations opened late and tempers frayed as voters waited up to seven hours to cast their ballots.

But vote they did, turning out in surprising numbers.

"It was a mess at first," said Mark Schneider, an international observer from the Washington-based International Crisis Group. "But the people were unbelievable. They waited, they were patient, they didn't leave."

Although polls were scheduled to open at 6 a.m. many did not get started until midmorning because of a variety of logistical problems. Voting hours, originally set to end at 4 p.m., were extended by at least two hours.

High turnout was expected to favor former President Rene Preval, a 63-year-old agronomist who held a big lead in pre-election polls ahead of Florida-educated businessman Charles Baker. Preval is seen by many Haitians as the only legitimate heir to President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who was ousted by an armed rebellion in February 2004.

Fewer problems were reported outside the capital, where mules were used in some remote areas to transport ballots and voting materials.

In the capital, Port-au-Prince, voting was delayed for hours in some places by a lack of materials, including missing ballots, and poorly trained poll workers who had trouble figuring out how to assemble the plastic ballot boxes. Some voters complained they could not find their names on the electoral lists. Others said they were unable to vote after discovering they were registered at the wrong voting center.

Stephane Lacroixe, a spokesman for Haiti's electoral council, apologized for the delays and urged voters to be patient, saying authorities were "in control of the situation."

As the day progressed, observers said the process appeared to improve and lines shortened.

In many areas, voting went smoothly. Clutching newly minted voter ID cards, about 1,000 people lined up before dawn at a polling station in the Port-au-Prince area of Delmas, slowly filing in and leaving with dark ink stains on their thumbs - proof that they voted.

"It's a victory for democracy, a victory for Haiti," said U.N. special envoy Juan Gabriel Valdes after touring one polling station.

The worst delays were reported around the gang-infested slum district of Cite Soleil, where election officials last month decided to move voting centers out of the area for safety reasons.

Despite threats from gang leaders, who accused U.N. peacekeepers and electoral supervisors of trying to sabotage the process, voters formed orderly lines and patiently waited to cast ballots.

More than 5,000 people waited three hours before voting began at one polling station near Cite Soleil. Some frustrated people chanted "We have the right to vote!" as election workers assembled ballot boxes.

"There's some frustration and anger on the voting lines," said David Wimhurst, spokesman for the United Nations, which has more than 9,000 troops and police in the troubled nation.

Wimhurst blamed the problems on poor planning and a lack of trained workers. "Some polling workers didn't show up for work, so we're going to grab people from the crowd, give them some quick training and get them in there," Wimhurst said.

Part of the problems appeared to stem from a decision to group voting booths in what officials dubbed "megacenters" to guarantee better security. This meant that more than 30 voting tables were installed in the same place, creating confusion when large numbers of voters began to line up before dawn.

Before the vote officials were predicting only a 25 percent to 30 percent turnout because of voter nerves or apathy after Haiti's previously short-lived efforts at democracy.

Instead, observers projected turnout may have reached 60 percent.

The presence of international observers, plus growing popular enthusiasm over the candidacy of Preval, seemed to energize voters in the final weeks of the campaign.

"Despite the fact that Haitians have every reason in the world to be disillusioned with democracy, they are hanging in there," said Robert Maguire, a Haiti expert at Trinity College in Washington, D.C. "It's truly admirable."

Maguire and others said they were still concerned that trouble could come as darkness fell after the polls closed.

The field of candidates includes several potential spoilers whom observers are keeping an eye on. Principal among them are a former anti-Aristide rebel leader, Guy Philippe, who has been accused by U.S. officials of drug ties, as well as Aristide's former body guard Dany Toussaint, who was linked to the death of a celebrated Haitian journalist.

"I hope that those who don't get their way show some more maturity than in the past," said Maguire. "There are people in Haiti who still need to learn that in a democracy you don't always get your way."

If no candidate wins a majority, the top two finishers will compete in a March 19 runoff. Hundreds of candidates also are running for 129 parliamentary seats.

Michael Norton of Associated Press and Times wires contributed to this report.

[Last modified February 8, 2006, 01:16:09]