Local Haitians Outraged By "Election Fraud"
MIAMI (CBS4) - One day after voting wrapped up in Haiti's presidential election, protests have erupted in the streets. Haitian officials are calling the election a success, despite the fact that the majority of the 19 candidates are calling for an annulment due to irregularities.
Lucie Tondreau and the staff at Island TV are closely analyzing the returns from their studios in North Miami and in the streets in Haiti.
"We didn't know it was gonna be so blatant and so flagrant," said Tondreau, an Island TV host. "I mean yesterday who could deny that it's been a fraudulent election with all those ballots on the floor. People who wanted to vote couldn't find their names. Most of the names that were posted to be allowed to vote were the ones who have died during the earthquake. So it was really sad to see."
Pierre Alcindor just returned from Haiti.
"The problems were flagrant actually because there is no way that you were gonna tell me that they were good elections," said Alcindor, a political analyst for Island TV. "People couldn't vote. The boxes with the ballots were even full before people came to vote in the morning."
It's a deflating scenario for many Haitians who were holding out hope that this election would be different from those in years past. This year international money was backing the process. This year the world was watching as Haitians worked to get back on their feet, rebuild their earthquake damaged infrastructure and fight a raging cholera epidemic.
"We're frustrated because we've become the laughing stock of the world for what happened yesterday," said Alcindor, not just a journalist but also born in Haiti. "Because I think we could have done much better and I feel very frustrated. I feel very angry. I feel upset."
