PORT-AU-PRINCE – Kompa artist and presidential candidate Michel “Sweet Mickey” Martelly is singing a different tune less than 24 hours after he stood side by side with fellow candidates who wanted to scrap Sunday’s presidential and legislative council elections in Haiti.
Martelly, along with 11 other presidential hopefuls decried the elections, citing massive fraud and other voting irregularities. Now the entertainer turned politician is now calling for all the votes to be counted. Martelly told reporters that he was not supporting the stance of the other candidates who on Sunday called for fresh elections amidst “massive fraud.” “Haitian people want to change. As you can see, some hours after we come to the Karibe hotel, people come to support us, we didn’t call any one they come by themselves, and they are ready to go to the street and support the things to change.
They are already prepared to fight for the change,” “Yesterday when I went to the demonstration. I was there to control the people, because yesterday as a electoral day, we’re not suppose to have any demonstration. It’s a movement for the change; we had other demonstrations all over the country.
This is not a movement for me Michel Martelly, this a movement for the change, for people to have right to go at school, right drinking water, health.”
The change of tune comes as unofficial reports place Martelly in line for a runoff against academic and former first lady Mirlande Manigat. Consequently, it has sparked criticism from opponents who feel that he has changed his position after realising he is leading the race. As the candidates were carefully orchestrated their next move, demonstrations continued at various points around the country. Outside the hotel where Martelly held his press conference a group of rowdy supporters were shouting “long live Martelly” in Creole. (CMC)
