Haiti leader calls election “gigantic fraud”

The leading presidential candidate in Haiti’s presidential election Rene Preval, claimed Tuesday there was ''probably a gigantic fraud'' that would deny him a first-round victory and urged supporters to protest nonviolently adding he would contest the results.

“We're convinced that massive fraud and important errors have characterized this electoral process" Preval said in his first statement after the election, in which - according to the latest vote count - he has won a plurality but is still short of the absolute majority he needs to avoid a runoff.

Tens of thousands of Preval's backers, most of them from Haiti's majority poor have flooded the streets of the capital Port au Prince to peacefully protest what they called a rigged February 7 election. However white U.N. armored vehicles on Tuesday shoved aside some roadblocks of junked cars, old refrigerators and other debris that were laid across the streets of the capital on Monday.

But Mr. Preval, once a close associate of ousted president Jean Bertrand Aristide called on protestors to respect private property and avoid all forms of violence.

"Let us be intelligent in our strategy, because the whole world is watching us" he told the crowds warning that "we must be alert because people who want to tarnish our image may have infiltrated our ranks".

On Monday one person was killed and scores of vehicles were burned when demonstrators took to the streets to demand Preval be declared president-elect.

"We are not a party of violence, but of reconciliation," said the former president, who ruled the Western Hemisphere's poorest country from 1996-2001.

Preval did not provide details on the fraud claims. Elections were organized by a team of United Nations international experts and monitored by observers.

With 90.02% of cast ballots counted Mr. Preval is far ahead of all other 32 presidential candidates with 48.76%, but still short of the 50% plus 1 needed to win the election without the need of a run off.

Ironically, the former president has more votes at this stage than all the other candidates put together, given that 7.49% of the ballots counted so far have been declared null.

Haiti’s general election was held last Tuesday after having been postponed four times. In addition to the presidential race, 1,300 candidates were vying for 30 Senate seats and 99 lower house seats.

The elections were called by the interim government that was installed after a popular revolt led to the February 2004 resignation and flight into exile of former President Jean-Bertand Aristide, who is currently residing in South Africa.

Earlier Tuesday, the head of the United Nations mission in Haiti, Chilean Juan Gabriel Valdes, said that Preval had cooperated actively to ensure that the electoral process unfolded normally and without incidents.

"Haitians have to understand that these things happen and it's not that there's someone maliciously altering the results. The vote count has been technically correct and there have been no irregularities in the process", insisted Mr. Valdes.

Given the tense situation, Preval was called to Port-au-Prince from his hometown of Marmelade to meet with the ambassadors from United States, France, Canada and Brazil, plus Mr. Valdes, to discuss the situation.

Valdes said that "the Haitian issue is before the (U.N.) Security Council" so that the international community can discuss the matter, as proposed by Brazil.