Bad-boy musician and former first lady head to head in Haiti election

One candidate is a musician with a bad-boy past. The other is a former first lady with a long political resume. Haiti's voters were yesterday heading to the polls to choose one of them to lead a country where anger with the government runs deep and nearly a million people are living on the streets.

The election, already delayed by a political crisis, is also clouded with uncertainty over the return of ousted former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a popular but divisive figure whose mere presence was considered by the US government and others as a possible threat to the vote.

Mirlande Manigat, the former first lady, and Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly, a star of Haitian compas music, emerged as the top two finishers from a first-round, 18-candidate vote in November that was marred by fraud and disorganization.

Lines formed outside polling stations before dawn yesterday as many people sought to cast ballots before going to church. A spokesman for the electoral council said that poll supplies such as ballots and ink were delayed in reaching voting centres in the southern, southwestern, and western regions of Haiti.

Richardson Dumel, a spokesman for the Provisional Electoral Council overseeing the elections, said the council was "doing its best to send materials".

Edmond Mulet, head of the UN mission in Haiti, said there were fewer delays and other problems than in the 28 November first round, which was marred by disorganization and allegations of fraud.

Whoever wins will face major challenges, including a Senate and Chamber of Deputies controlled by the party of outgoing President Rene Preval, who was barred by the constitution from running for re-election. They may also face a surge in cholera once the rainy season starts and anger over the fact that 800,000 people are still in what were once optimistically labelled "temporary settlement camps" after the January 2010 earthquake.

The two candidates have similar agendas, promising to make education universal in a country where only half the children attend school, to build homes and to foster economic growth. Both have said they want to restore Haiti's armed forces.

Their backgrounds could not be more distinct: Ms Manigat is a 70-year-old university administrator and former senator; Mr Martelly is a 50-year-old pop star who has no college degree and a history of crude onstage antics.Some view his outsider status as an attribute in a country where the government has failed to provide basic services.

Meanwhile, One of Martelly's most high-profile supporters, hip-hop star Wyclef Jean, was recovering last night after being treated in a hospital for a gunshot wound to his hand late on Saturday, a spokesman said. The details surrounding the shooting were unclear.

What remains a mystery is what effect, if any, Mr Aristide might have on the race. The former president, who was ousted in a 2004 rebellion, made a triumphant return from exile Friday - two days before the election, sparking feverish speculation over his motives.