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Preval's victory welcomed

A supporter of president-elect Rene Preval holds two snakes while marching with fellow demonstrators in front of Preval's home in Port-au-Prince on Thursday after the former president was declared the winner of the Feb. 7 election. PHOTO: AP

Haitians and their neighbors have welcomed the election of Rene Preval as president, amid signs aid was in the pipeline to help restore stability in the hemisphere's poorest country.

Haitians had celebrated in the streets after Preval was declared the winner of the Feb. 7 presidential election early on Thursday following a reshuffling of blank ballots, in an internationally brokered deal over fraud claims.

His election closes a chapter on a UN-backed interim government installed after former president Jean Bertrand Aristide fled the country two years ago in the face of an armed uprising.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, testifying on Thursday before the US Congress, welcomed the announcement of Haiti's new president and paved the way for more US aid to Haiti.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada congratulated Preval and called for "national reconciliation, political dialogue and fundamental reform" in Haiti.

In New York, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Thursday called Preval's victory a "reasonable way" to settle an impasse over vote fraud allegations that could have led to violence.

"Mr Rene Garcia Preval is credited with 51.15 percent of the votes, based on 96 percent of voting stations counted, and is declared the winner," electoral authorities said in statement.

The announcement followed five days of protests over partial results that gave Preval 48.76 percent of the vote, short of the 50 percent needed to win outright.

Preval, 63, a former president, had rejected the partial results, decrying what he said was "massive fraud or gross errors" and encouraging his supporters to protest.

Runner-up Leslie Manigat said he was robbed of the right to face-off with Preval in a second round.
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