Haiti's electoral president resigns but martelly refuses to quit

Baku. 8 February. REPORT. AZ/ Haiti’s President Michel Martelly has pledged to step down in three days despite having no replacement after a botched election, which has triggered widespread opposition protests in theCaribbean country, Report informs referring to the Russian media.

“I am grateful to all those who allowed me to serve. On February 7, I’ll leave without any regret, any envy and without any desire to remain in power,” Martelly told reporters in the capital Port-au-Prince on Thursday.

Martelly had earlier warned that he would not resign without an established succession plan. The president had said he was “not going to leave the country in uncertainty” and vowed to find a solution for the political crisis.

His earlier announcement enraged protesters, who have marched in Port-au-Prince almost on a daily basis over the past two weeks over alleged vote fraud in the first round of presidential election last October.

Martelly’s term expires on February 7 and he is constitutionally barred from standing for re-election.

This is while run-off elections to choose the next president were cancelled last month when opposition candidate Jude Celestin threatened to boycott the vote, claiming that the October 2015 round was rigged in favor of the ruling party candidate, Jovenel Moise.