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HAITI: GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS WRAP

(22 May 2000) Creole/Eng/Fr/Nat XFA Haitians lined up by the thousands on Sunday for a vote to restore democracy, and in the process free half a billion U-S dollars in desperately needed foreign aid. Although the election violence predicted for Port Au Prince did not transpire, west of the capital, in Croix des Bouquette a policeman was shot and killed. The voting was also marred by long delays, but Haiti's Electoral Commission seemed confident, late on Sunday, that the elections were a success. Counting is now being done by hand so it's expected to be several days before final results can be released. Former President, Jean-Paul Bertrand Aristide, turned out in Port Au Prince, on Sunday, to cast his vote in the elections which are expected to return the nation to democracy. SOUNDBITE: (Creole) "I have come here today to vote for peace to avoid the kind of elections violence that we have seen in the past to bring our people together." SUPER CAPTION: Jean-Paul Bertrand Aristide, former President of Haiti It's hoped Sunday's election will restore a working legislature to Haiti after President Rene Preval disbanded Parliament in 1999 and appointed a new premier by decree. As well as that, it's hoped the election will free $ U-S 500 (m) million in desperately needed foreign aid that is on hold until the country is legally governed. Not since Haiti's first democratic vote in 1990 have Haitians shown such a strong determination to vote. Sadly, their enthusiasm was thwarted by long delays. In Port Au Prince there were often queues outside polling booths. Hundreds of people were still waiting to vote in the legislative and local elections when stations were scheduled to close. But by law those in line at closing time were still allowed to cast ballots. More than 100 disgruntled voters protested in the seaside shantytown of Cite Soleil because, it's claimed, of 120 stations there, eight had no voting materials and another 20 never opened. Another group, angry that some voting stations had not opened by 4 p.m. local time, set tires ablaze in a failed attempt to block a road in suburban Delmas. Police restored order without incident. Electoral officials said Sunday that security concerns delayed distribution of voters' rolls and ballot papers. SOUNDBITE: (English) There are minor problems here and there but to me it looks like, you know, it's a ninety-nine percent thing. The delay in Port of Prince might be a problem later for the vote count. We're going to be keeping a very close eye on that." SUPER CAPTION:Jean-Paul Poirier, Chief Technician for the Electoral Commission Campaigning for the Haitian elections was marred by at least 15 politically related slayings since March 27, arson attacks on opposition offices and rumors that violence would erupt at the polls. Despite the rumours, Port-au-Prince remained calm on Sunday. But just west of the capital, in Croix des Bouquette, a policeman was shot and killed by supporters of a minor party candidate who was arrested on charges of election fraud. Most opposition parties accuse Aristide's governing Lavalas Family party of violent intimidation and plotting fraud. Most pre-election violence was committed by Lavalas supporters, though the party denies involvement. Saturday night, there was a small explosion at Aristide's midtown centre for homeless people, but no one was hurt. The premier has blamed a grenade explosion at the gate of the Electoral Council office on the opposition. But few doubt that Aristide will win presidential elections planned for November. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...