Protesters paralyze Haitian capital, call for Preval election victory

Published: 2006-02-14

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CNS) -- Mass demonstrations erupted in Port-au-Prince as burning tire barricades paralyzed the city, and at least one person was shot dead Feb. 13 in demonstrations following Feb. 7 presidential elections. The crowd accused U.N. peacekeepers of shooting the man, but the United Nations denied that peacekeepers opened fire on the crowd and said their soldiers fired into the air. The peacekeepers said the man was shot by someone in the crowd. In a third day of primarily peaceful demonstrations, several hundred protesters calling for recognition of the victory of presidential candidate Rene Preval, burst into an upscale hotel that served as an election press center in the hills of the Petionville neighborhood. Protesters said electoral officials were tampering with results to prevent Preval from winning 51 percent of the vote, which is needed to prevent a second round of elections; his lead had dropped from 60 percent to 48 percent.

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