Haiti's tortuous election process looks set to drag on after the interim president said Wednesday the second round of presidential voting will not take place before his term ends in mid-May.
Jocelerme Privert was elected interim president of the troubled country on February 14 for three months to oversee the run-off of presidential elections, as well as partial legislative and local elections.
But Privert told a press conference that election authorities needed more time to audit the results of the parts of the vote that have already taken place, signaling yet another delay to a process that was supposed to usher in a fresh chapter in the poorest country in the Americas.
"The Electoral Council believes it will publish an election calendar between May 15 and May 31," Privert told reporters.
Haiti has been in deep political crisis since the December runoff between then-president Michel Martelly's favored candidate Jovenel Moise and opposition flag-bearer Jude Celestin was called off.
The suspension followed violence and opposition protests by demonstrators alleging that foul play had helped the government candidate take the first round in October.
The last-minute deal that saw Privert step in for the outgoing Martelly set an election date of April 24, but officials have already ruled out hitting that deadline.
Haiti’s tortuous election process looks set to drag on after the interim president said Wednesday the second round of presidential voting will not take place before his term ends in mid-May.
Jocelerme Privert was elected interim president of the troubled country on February 14 for three months to oversee the run-off of presidential elections, as well as partial legislative and local elections.
But Privert told a press conference that election authorities needed more time to audit the results of the parts of the vote that have already taken place, signaling yet another delay to a process that was supposed to usher in a fresh chapter in the poorest country in the Americas.
“The Electoral Council believes it will publish an election calendar between May 15 and May 31,” Privert told reporters.
Haiti has been in deep political crisis since the December runoff between then-president Michel Martelly’s favored candidate Jovenel Moise and opposition flag-bearer Jude Celestin was called off.
The suspension followed violence and opposition protests by demonstrators alleging that foul play had helped the government candidate take the first round in October.
The last-minute deal that saw Privert step in for the outgoing Martelly set an election date of April 24, but officials have already ruled out hitting that deadline.
