UN calls for calm in Haiti

HAITI: UN peacekeepers in Haiti appealed for calm Saturday after electoral officials rejected international hip-hop star Wyclef Jean’s candidacy in Haiti’s November 28 presidential election.

Jean, who has a strong following among Haiti’s youth, was the best known of the 15 candidates disqualified from running.

Haitian police and UN peacekeepers nervously stood guard outside the offices of Haiti’s electoral council. Despite fears of unrest, however, the city appeared calm.

The presidential and legislative election is scheduled for November 28 in a country still recovering from a devastating January 12 earthquake that killed at least 250,000 people and left 1.5 million homeless.

The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) called “on political parties and candidates participating in presidential elections to respect the laws prescribed in the Elections Act.”

AFP