HAITI: Haiti polls tomorrow
published: Monday | February 6, 2006

Haitian presidential candidate René Preval has make-up applied before a television interview at his sister's home in Port-au-Prince on Friday. - REUTERS

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (REUTERS):

Rife with fear of an explosion of violence, Haiti will vote on a new president tomorrow to replace its last elected leader, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, ousted two years ago in a bloody rebellion.

Haiti's latest attempt to put its floundering democracy back on track faces high hurdles: gang violence in the slums; kidnappings; intractable poverty; potential chaos at polling places; and, distrust across its confused political spectrum.