PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP):
AT LEAST one million Haitians voted in an election runoff to choose a new parliament, double the initial estimate given by some international observers, U.N. officials said yesterday.
An official count showed at least 30 percent of Haiti's 3.5 million registered voters participated in Friday's election, said David Wimhurst, a spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping mission, citing data from Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council.
Wimhurst said the figure represented a "a big step forward" compared to past legislative races in Haiti, despite a claim by European Union observer team that turnout was poor.
"The fact that we got 30 percent, or one million voters, is not negligible. We consider this a very successful effort," he said.
Many voters in this impoverished Caribbean nation were slow to turn up at polling stations in the early hours of balloting, prompting the head EU election observer, Johan Van Hecke, to call the turnout "extremely weak." He estimated the participation at no more than 15 percent.
Speaking to reporters Monday, Van Hecke said that estimate was based on "preliminary information" but stood by his assessment that participation was low.
"Whether it's 20 or 25 or 28 (percent), it's still a very low turnout," said Van Hecke, a Belgium national and a member of the European Parliament.
Election observers had reported isolated cases of people voting multiple times Friday, however, it's unclear what impact that had on turnout figures.
A final result is expected this week, possibly by Tuesday.
The vote was seen as a litmus test of the level of legislative support for President-elect Rene Preval, who won Feb. 7 presidential elections called after a revolt helped topple President Jean Bertrand Aristide two years ago.
Preval, who formally takes power May 14, will have to form a coalition government because neither his Lespwa party or his rivals have enough candidates to win a majority.
The election were also was meant to lay the foundation for when the country can hold future races without U.N. protection, but Van Hecke said it remains to be seen whether Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, can do so.
"This country is coming from a period of dictatorship and also civil war ... Let's see if this elections maybe are the beginning of a new chapter for this country, a new, important step toward democracy," he said.
Haitians voted for 127 legislative representatives, 97 deputies and 30 senators. Only two deputies were elected in the Feb. 7 first round.
AP-NY-04-24-06 1503EDT
