Election workers set up ballot boxes for the upcoming presidential runoff.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: Hip-hop singer Wyclef Jean is shot in the hand, but “doing well,” a publicist says
- Voters will pick between a former first lady and a famous musician
- Haiti is recovering from a political turmoil and a devastating earthquake
- Reappearance of former president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, also sparks concerns
(CNN) — Haitians will choose between a former first lady and a popular musician Sunday in a pivotal presidential runoff vote for a nation still recovering from a devastating earthquake and political turmoil.
Former law professor and first lady Mirlande Manigat will face singer Michel Martelly in the second round of presidential elections.
Final results of the runoff will be released on April 16, according to officials.
Martelly made a name for himself as a flamboyant carnival musician who sometimes ripped his clothes off onstage.
In early December, the electoral council announced that Manigat had won but lacked the majority of votes needed for an outright victory. Initial results put her in a runoff with government-backed candidate, Jude Celestin.
Haitians responded by charging fraud and burning cars, tires and Celestin’s campaign headquarters in Port-au-Prince.
The third-place candidate, Martelly, claimed he had won more votes than Celestin and a review of results by an Organization of American States team supported that contention.
The review suggested that Martelly earned a spot in the runoff.
The reappearance of a political heavyweight and former president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, has sparked concerns of more political turmoil.
Aristide, who has been living in exile in South Africa for seven years, returned last week. U.S. officials expressed concern over his return, saying that his presence would prove destabilizing.
But Aristide’s lawyer has said he has no intention of getting into politics.
Haiti has been struggling to recover since a massive earthquake struck a year ago. Its troubles were compounded by a cholera outbreak that killed thousands, and the turmoil surrounding the November 28 presidential election.
Meanwhile, the publicist for Haitian-born hip-hop singer Wyclef Jean said Sunday that the artist was shot in the hand in the capital Port-au-Prince Saturday, but was treated and released from the hospital.
“He is doing well,” Cindy Tanenbaum said, calling the wound superficial.
Jean, a Haiti native, tried to run for president himself but was ruled ineligible by election officials.
CNN’s Deborah Doft contributed to this report.
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