Haiti: protesters demand suspension of Jan. 24 run- off

Several electoral offices in Haiti were destroyed and many roadblocks erected by opposition protesters calling for the suspension of the January 24 presidential run-off.

Tension are high after the opposition candidate Jude Celestin said he would withdraw from the run-off, on grounds that electoral authorities favoured the ruling party.

The Swiss-trained engineer Celestin, 53, came second after Jovenel Moise, 47, the ruling party candidate who emerged the winner in the first round of voting .

Protests began in the poor neighbourhood into downtown Port-au-Prince. Most people are angry at the current government and the international community

“We want to tell the international community that we will not ask forgiveness because we know you will never be for this black country, for the Haitian people and we know we have to fight for our country. We have a country that is rich, that has a lot of gold mines. The Americans and its allies want to pillage the country,” one protester said.

Several people were arrested and at least one person injured as the anti-riot police dispersed the protesters. Small clouds of tear gas were seen as the police took up positions throughout the streets when the skirmishes erupted.

The Haiti Chamber of Commerce issued a statement on Tuesday stating that they were concerned about the electoral crisis and they recommended the formation of a special commission of inquiry including redesigning the Provisional Electoral Council.

Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world and still struggling after the 2010 earthquake and western colonization and imperialism. The electoral process is expected to end the two decade of political instability within the country.