Major doubts persist as to whether the constitutionally-mandated deadline of 7 February for the presidential handover of power will be met. Last month Haiti’s provisional electoral council (CEP) bowed to pressure amid widespread allegations of fraud relating to the 25 October presidential first round [RC-15-12] and postponed the 27 December second round run-off between Jovenel Moïse of President Michel Martelly’s Parti Haïtien Têt Kalé (PHTK) and Jude Célestin of the Ligue Alternative pour le Progrès et l’Emancipation Haïtienne (Lapeh) (as well as partial national legislative and municipal elections also due to take place on the same date). It remains unclear whether the election will take place on the new date set by the CEP - 24 January. The release on 3 January of a report on the 25 October vote by a special panel, which acknowledges that widespread irregularities took place, is supplying fresh ammunition for the political opposition in its demands for a complete recount, the resignation of the nine member CEP and the establishment of a transitional government. End of preview - This article contains approximately 1168 words.
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