Outside the capital city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, voting was disrupted by violence and several people were wounded during a Senate election largely boycotted by voters.
 
  
After polls closed, observers estimated that fewer than 10 percent of potential voters went to the polls.


[Rene Preval, Haitian President]: "There can be many factors that prevented the people from voting. If they don't vote, I don't know. I am here and I don't know what is going on outside Port-au-Prince.  I am waiting to hear from the election council to know the exact percentage of voters."

   
Several people were wounded during clashes between supporters of rival candidates. And Haitian police and U.N. forces exchanged fire with civilian gunmen in the northern town of Marchand Dessalines.

       
Other violent confrontations, as well as allegations of massive frauds, in the Central Plateau area prompted election authorities to cancel the ballot in the whole region.