Preval Wins Haiti Presidential Election

Rene Preval was declared the winner of the Haiti presidential election last week. The election was held on February 7 and after a long and controversial counting process, Mr. Preval won with about 51% of the vote, thus avoiding a run-off. Haiti has been plagued by military coups and it is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere, so hopefully the election of Mr. Preval will bring the country into a brighter future. Mr. Preval also served as president of the country from 1996 to 2001, stepping down due to term limits. He ran as a member of the "Lespwa" coalition, which in English means hope.