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Haitian Presidentâ€™s Term Extended by 3 Months

07 February 2011 23:41 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. A top aide to Rene Preval says the Haitian president will stay in office for three more months as the Caribbean nation chooses his successor, APA reports quoting â€œThe Voice of Americaâ€.
Mr. Preval’s chief of staff told the Associated Press Monday that the president will leave office on May 14.
His term had been scheduled to end Monday but a runoff election to replace him will not take place until March 20.
An emergency law passed after last year’s earthquake allowed him to extend his term so he could hand over power to an elected successor.
Mr. Preval’s current term as president began in 2006.
Haitian election officials announced last week that former first lady Mirlande Manigat and popular singer Michel Martelly will face off in the March vote.
The electoral commission’s announcement means ruling party candidate Jude Celestin is out of the race â€” an outcome supported by the international community. The final results of the disputed November election differ from preliminary results, which put Celestin in the runoff with Manigat.
Haiti is the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country. It is struggling to recover from a devastating earthquake a year ago that left more than 200,000 people dead and 1 million others homeless. Hundreds of thousands of people still live in tent cities, and many parts of Port-au-Prince remain in ruins. The country has also been battling a deadly cholera outbreak.