Violent protests are feared in Haiti in the wake of fraud allegations surrounding the Caribbean nation's elections Sunday.

Twelve of Haiti’s 19 presidential candidates requested the elections be called off for reasons ranging from fraud to polling-place disorganization. 

Election day was supposed to be the beginning of a new

Voters Line Up in Haiti (Creative Commons)

“Already reeling from a catastrophic earthquake, one of the world’s poorest economies, storms, a deadly cholera epidemic and unrest over U.N. peacekeepers, the Caribbean nation could now be on the edge of a full-on political turmoil,” the Associated Press reported.

Voting stations were disorganized and eligible voters were unable to vote because of the complicated system. Problems arose when people arrived to their assigned voting stations to find that their names were not on the list. A voting station set up in a Tebarre neighborhood school was destroyed when a group of voters lashed out because their names weren’t on the list. This incident was not isolated.

All over the country similar occurrences were observed. Campaign caravans were ambushed and voting stations were destroyed and thousands of ballots were lost. Despite observations by the United Nations and other organizations of “numerous incidents that marred the elections,” and a request by a majority of the candidates that the election be called off, the electoral council insists the election will proceed, according to Reuters.

Stakes are high because the election results are crucial to Haiti’s future.  Preval's successor will have to deal with billions of dollars in aid slated for reconstruction projects stemming from the devastation caused by the January earthquake.