MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Haitians flock to landmark polls

Haitians voted in overwhelming numbers in an election aimed at restoring democracy in the impoverished nation, swamping officials who struggled to cope with the large turnout.

"The people have voted massively," said United Nations special envoy Juan Gabriel Valdes after the voting period was extended by almost four hours.

Jose Miguel Insulza, secretary-general of the Organisation of American States, said a majority of registered voters cast ballots, but specific figures were not yet available.

At dawn yesterday, when the 800 polling stations were supposed to open, it immediately became apparent the voting would not go smoothly. In the upmarket Petionville suburb of the capital Port-au-Prince, people in a crowd of thousands stormed a voting station. Several women fainted.

Across town, near the gang-controlled Cite Soleil slum, frustrated voters pounded on empty ballot boxes and chanted: "It's time for Cite Soleil to vote!" The polls opened at the site hours later.

Government officials sought to maintain calm, assuring Haitians that everyone would have a chance to vote. By mid-afternoon, the process appeared more orderly. UN troops deployed in force to calm crowds.

Election authorities said the problems were largely limited to Port-au-Prince. By early afternoon, all polls across this country of 8.3 million were open, said UN spokesman David Wimhurst.

In the northern town of Gros Morne, a Haitian policeman shot dead a man in line at a polling station, Wimhurst said. A mob then killed the police officer. There were two other reported deaths in polling stations in the capital ? two elderly men who collapsed while waiting in line.

The stakes in the election are huge ? more than simply who will be president and who will occupy seats in parliament. Haiti, which has seen only one president complete his term in office, could implode if the elections go wrong, experts say.