Flood-weary Haiti to hold delayed presidential elections amid heavy rain

Flood-weary Haiti is set to hold long delayed presidential elections this Sunday amid warnings of possible heavy rains across the country.

With much of Haiti still recovering from the devastating floods of Hurricane Matthew in October, officials worried about an abysmal turnout have been urging voters to go to the polls despite the weather.

The daily Haiti Libre reported on Friday that the president of the Provisional Electoral Council Leopold Berlanger said "Go vote! In other countries people vote under snow ... we cannot postpone elections because of rain."

Acting President Jocelerme Privert, meanwhile, met Thursday with representatives of the National Risk Management System and the National Meteorology Center to discuss the weather forecast and make contingency plans, the daily said.

"We are working on a contingency plan. Brigades are mobilized to respond to the uncertainties that nobody can control .... Rains and floods should not prevent voters from going to polling stations," the daily cited Privert as saying.

According to the forecast, there is "100 percent" chance of rain and thunderstorms in the capital Port-au-Prince on Sunday, with the probability of rain ranging from 20 percent to 80 percent in other parts of the country. Endi