Haitian vote review ordered

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Haiti’s interim government ordered a review of presidential election results Tuesday, hours after the leading candidate claimed the count was marred by “massive fraud” or errors.

The order is the first formal step to investigate possible fraud or irregularities committed during last week’s vote and the counting process.

“The government wants to make sure that everything with the process is correct,” interim Interior Minister Paul Magloire said.

Earlier in the day, leading presidential candidate Rene Preval promised to contest the results and urged supporters to protest peacefully a day after at least one pro-Preval demonstrator was killed and followers elsewhere occupied a hotel.

Preval said official results “do not correspond with reality.”

The review will be conducted by a commission comprised of the president’s office, the electoral council and Preval’s party, said an aide to interim President Boniface Alexandre.