Aristide Reelected With 92% of Vote

Former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was reelected with an overwhelming 92% of the vote, the electoral council announced, giving the final tally for a contest boycotted by all major opposition parties. The runner-up, Arnold Dumas, had just 2.4% of the vote in Sunday’s elections, and the other five candidates garnered even less. Aristide’s Lavalas Family party also made a clean sweep of nine Senate seats, giving it all but one seat in the upper house. The electoral council claimed that about 61% of the 4.8 million voters had cast ballots, but independent news reports and opposition leaders said turnout was much lower.