Electoral authorities in Haiti have postponed the presidential and legislative runoffs that were scheduled for Dec. 27, in light of ongoing allegations of irregularities. Last month, there were violent protests after the results of the first cycle of voting were announced. A new election date has not been provided.
In a statement released on Monday evening, the country's Provisional Electoral Council explained that the Dec. 27 vote has been postponed until a special commission can make further recommendations, reports USA Today. Amid widespread suspicions of fraud, President Michel Martelly ordered the establishment of the commission last week.
Originally, the evaluation commission was set to analyze the electoral process during this past weekend, with the support of experts from the European Union and specialists from the Organization of American States, explains the Daily Mail. It was expected to take three days for the recommendations to be made.
The five-member commission has not yet been created, however, and there is opposition to its proposed members for not being neutral, according to the Associated Press.
In the initial election, Jovenel Moise, a banana exporter, achieved the most votes but fell short of a majority at 33 percent. His opposition in the runoff vote was to be Jude Celestin, a former state construction company chief who came in second at 25 percent, according to the BBC. Moise has the support of the current president, but is less experienced than Celestin.
Amid the widely criticized electoral procedures, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas. The nation has primarily relied on foreign aid and international donations since the devastating 2010 earthquake.
