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Weekly Report - 7 April 2011 (WR-11-14)

Martelly has the X factor

The international community can finally breathe a sigh of relief_for now. After months of uncertainty, speculation and multiple twists, an end is in sight to Haiti's presidential contest. The provisional electoral council (CEP) announced on 4 April that pop star and political neophyte Michel “Sweet Micky" Martelly had defeated Mirlande Manigat in the 20 March presidential run-off. While the result is preliminary, with the final announcement expected later in the month, the scale of his win (67.57% to 31.74%) suggests no further surprises. This convincing victory will not translate into a strong mandate however. On top of the daunting priorities facing the president-elect - namely post-quake reconstruction efforts and arresting the cholera epidemic - Martelly's chief challenge will be to address the major question marks over his authority.

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