The runner-up is former first lady Mirlande Manigat, who received about 31.5% of the vote. Michel Martelly, also known by his former entertainer name “Sweet Micky,” is a favorite among the Haitian youth and is expected to bring change and transparency to the government, long-suspected as corrupt by many. Before entering politics, Martelly was a popular singer with a bit of a bad-boy persona, which he claims he invented solely for the stage.
Martelly used his image as a government outsider to gain his popularity with the countries youth, eager for a change. Martelly placed third behind Manigat and current President Rene Preval-backed Jude Celestin in the original vote on November 28, 2010, the election committee decided to hold a second, “runoff” election between just Manigat and Martelly after widespread allegations of election fraud by the increasingly large group of Martelly supporters. Because of his affiliation with the extremely unpopular current President Preval and many allegations of wrongdoing, Celestin was forced to back out of the race by his own party and the election committee.Michel Martelly is very hopeful about his upcoming presidency, as are the people of Haiti. Many Haitian’s took to the street to celebrate, chanting “Tet Kale,” or “bald head” in Creole in support for their new leader. Martelly is confident that he has what it takes to lead his people through this extremely difficult time in Haiti’s history, stating “I've been on the ground with them for 22 years. The people know me. I represent the light at the end of the tunnel.”
All of us at StanaCard wish Haiti the best and hope that the country can navigate through these difficulties with the help of this new, optimistic leader. Now’s a great time to call friends and family in Haiti and discuss the results! With StanaCard all you have to do is dial a local number to reach abroad, and when you tell your friends and family about our service, you can get $10 for each person who joins!
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