Rene Preval becomes Haiti's 55th president

Rene Preval became Haiti's president for the second time on Sunday, swearing oaths in Creole to the Senate and the Congress who formally delivered him the red- and-blue Haitian presidential sash.

Preval took the oath of office while placing one hand on the Haitian constitution.

"I pledge allegiance to the Constitution, to respect and ensure respect for the laws of Haiti and to protect the sovereignty of the nation," he said in his native Creole.

Preval stood and waved to 300 legislators and visiting foreign presidents who gave a standing ovation to the 63-year-old agricultural economist, who was previously president from 1996 to 2001.

At the ceremony, the president of the electoral chamber, Joseph Lambert, said that Haiti was living through a special and important moment in Haiti's history, saying that Preval's second victory is also a victory for democracy.

As the ceremony took place, Haiti's national police and dozens of blue-helmeted United Nations soldiers, alongside several hundred observers, monitored the streets.

And supporters of former president Jean Bertand Aristide, overthrown in 2004 in a bloody revolt, held up photographs of Aristide and demanded his return.

Preval will replace a United States-supported interim government, which was appointed to run the country when Aristide fled.

Before the ceremony, dozens of prisoners rioted in Haiti's main jail. Although official sources have not yet reported any deaths, prisoners on the roof of the jail say that two people died.

Preval, who is regarded as a champion of Haiti's poor majority, won a 51.15 percent majority vote in February's presidential election. He is the founder of the Lespwa (Hope) Party, having begun his political life in Aristide's Lavals (Avalanche) Party. One of his key campaign promises was to bring peace to the nation, following two years of violence, that followed the ousting of Aristide.

Preval is the only Haitian president to have been democratically elected, served a full term and handed over office to his successor, in the nation's 202-year history.

Source: Xinhua