Polls in landmark Haiti elections close after no big snags

Voting in Haiti on Sunday went relatively smoothly in landmark elections for president and parliament, with officials hoping clean results will cement democracy in the Western hemisphere’s poorest country.

Apart from long lines and a late start at a few polling stations there were no reports of major problems, a sharp contrast to a first round of legislative elections in August, according to officials and reports from independent observers.

“This is much better,” said Pierre Esperance, director of the National Human Rights Defense Network. “The police are taking their responsibilities more seriously,” he added, alluding to criticism of lax policing of polling stations in August.

Read more at: Reuters