Voodoo devotees prepare a place for a voodoo ceremony in the neighbourhood of Bel-Air in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Wednesday. Haitians are celebrating at ceremonies honouring the Gede, a group of spirits responsible for the dead, for two days. - REUTERS
NEW YORK, CMC:
WHILE CONTROVERSY swirls around the candidacy of Texas billionaire Dumarsais Simeus in Haiti's forthcoming general elections, the candidate says he would stamp out corruption if elected president.
"Corruption is the cancer that has created the poverty and misery," Simeus, 65 was quoted as saying in New York's Daily News.
"It is a factor that has caused the loss of dignity for all Haitian people all over the world," added Simeus, a United States citizen.
"Corruption is what has kept foreign investment from coming into this country. Corruption is the major negative factor that has kept roads from being built and healthcare from coming in. That's what we're going to attack."
Simeus, who owns a grocery chain in Texas, said it is time the socio-economic and political status quo in Haiti change.
"Change to stop corruption, put food on the table, create schools for the needy, build roads, create jobs, bring about tourism and create financial institutions to give access to capital and credit to those who want to start their own businesses," he said.
Simeus expressed confidence that he will win the December-slated elections among a reported field of at least 35 candidates.
