PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CMC):
HAITI'S ELECTORAL Council yesterday said two candidates had been victorious in the first round of balloting on February 7, even as several contenders accused electoral authorities of being bias.
President of the Electoral Council, Max Mathurin, said the final results for the first round of the legislative race had been released after the council had examined all the claims made by the protesting candidates.
The two winners were running for the lower Chamber of Parliament while no candidate for the Senate won in the first round. A run-off is set for April 21.
ACCUSATIONS
Several candidates have accused electoral officials of favouring candidates that share the same political ideology, a claim denied by the authorities.
Fritz Gerald Rosefort, a candidate for the "House" said he placed second in his constituency, which qualified him to take part in the run-off, according to figures released by the council earlier.
But he said he had now been told he placed third. Only the first two place candidates could compete in the run-off, according to electoral guidelines.
