Haiti Delays June Elections For 3 Weeks

Officials responded Monday to critics and pre-election violence by delaying June elections for three weeks and extending deadlines for candidates and voter registration.

Opposition politicians welcomed the news but threatened to boycott the elections if President Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s government shuts them out of the electoral process.

The U.S. Embassy discounted accusations that the government is stacking the elections apparatus with its partisans.

“This is a very tough political climate, and one anticipates these kinds of criticisms,” said embassy spokesman Stan Schrager.