PREVIEW: Haiti finally gets new leader: Martelly to be sworn in

May 13, 2011, 0:46 GMT

Port-au-Prince - Haiti's drawn-out political crisis appears close to an end: Singer Michel Martelly is set to be inaugurated Saturday as president of the poorest country in the Americas.

The inauguration comes at the end of a long electoral process, which like almost everything in Haiti was disrupted in party by the devastating earthquake that claimed at least 220,000 lives in January 2010.

Martelly, who is politically a right-wing populist whose actual governing plans remain vague, rode his popularity and image as a political outsider to the presidency. But he did not have it easy along the way.

The first round of presidential elections in November was marked by chaos and charges of manipulation and corruption. After that first vote, Martelly ranked third behind former first lady Mirlande Manigat and ruling-party candidate Jude Celestin.

Exit polls and observations by neutral groups indicated that Martelly should have taken second place, and violence broke out on the streets.

Under pressure from the international community, Celestin eventually withdrew amid allegations of election fraud. Martelly took his place in the runoff, which was postponed as the vote count was resolved.

The second round was eventually held on March 20, but Martelly's triumph was only made official one month later. He got 67 per cent of the votes to Manigat's 31 per cent.

Outgoing President Rene Preval, who has been in office since 2006, could not seek re-election under the Haitian constitution. While his chosen successor Celestin failed in the effort, Preval's party, Inite, will have a majority in the legislature under Martelly.

Martelly has called for cooperation across Haitian socieity, but political observers have expressed fears that the lack of a parliamentary majority may hinder his chances of implementing measures that are urgently needed for reconstruction.

On an issue that is likely to come up during his presidency, Martelly has made contradictory comments on prosecuting former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier (1971-86), who recently returned to the country following a nearly 25-year exile.

Martelly has said he favours an amnesty to promote national reconciliation, but has also said he does not plan to interfere with judicial proceedings against Duvalier, who is the subject of a legal investigation of alleged corruption and human-rights violations including thousands of deaths during his regime.

Martelly is to face a further challenge in former president Jean- Bertrand Aristide, who returned from exile in March. Aristide maintains a huge power base among the population, and his dislike for Martelly is well-known.

Beyond politics, Haiti remains immersed in a cholera epidemic and still has 700,000 people living in temporary camps after their homes were destroyed in last year's quake.

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