Millions of Haitians went to vote Sunday in long-delayed parliamentary elections amidst sporadic violent clashes, delays and disorder.
The elections got underway on Sunday at 6 a.m. local time and closed at 4 p.m., according to AFP.
The voting was marred by violent clashes at some polling stations, including in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Police said nearly 26 polling stations were closed midday due to sporadic violence, according to Antillean. Police also have arrested 56 people in connection with election violence or disruption.
Pierre Louis Opont, chief of the country's nine-member electoral council, however, expressed satisfaction with the conduct during the first round of parliamentary elections, according to Radio Metropole Haiti. He said only 54 out of 508 polling stations were affected by the violence.
"The electoral council is in general satisfied with the unfolding of election day. We've had incidents that we will assess, but the police have played their role and we can say that election day was a victory," Opont said during a press briefing on Sunday, according to Hcnn Haiti.
Independent foreign monitors also expressed satisfaction.
"Although there have been incidents in some polling centers, these problems have generally been corrected," said Elena Valenciano, head of the European Union's observation mission, according to DW.
Sunday's poll will likely end the one-man rule of President Michel Martelly. The Caribbean nation's parliament was dissolved in January after the resignation of Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe. Martelly has been running a one-man government since then.
Nearly six million Haitians out of more than 10 million total are eligible to vote to elect 30 senators and 119 deputies among 1,800 candidates, according to Haiti Libre. A run-off round will be held on Oct. 25 on same day of presidential election.
