After the two-year turmoil in their birthplace, tens of thousands of Haitians in New York are “cautiously optimistic” about their country’s future.

The optimism can be traced to the decision of the Haitian Electoral Council to declare Rene Preval, the nation’s duly elected president with 51.5 percent of the 2.2 million ballots cast, thus avoiding a March run-off against Leslie Manigat, who, like Preval, is a former president. Manigat received less than 12 percent of the vote.

“We are cautiously optimistic now that the result is known and Preval, the person most Haitians wish to see run the country has been declared the winner in a free and fair presidential election,” said Ricot Dupuy, manager of Radio Soleil, a Creole radio station in Brooklyn, which keeps its finger on the pulse of the Haitian immigrant community. “While it is clear the election of Preval was free and fair, it is not altogether clear that the opposition forces accept that and wouldn’t seek to mount some kind of challenge on the spurious grounds that Preval was given the presidency by the international community.”

As a matter of fact, Manigat went on record as charging that Preval had been given the election and hadn’t won in accordance with the election rules. But Dupuy said that based on the calls to his radio station, most Haitian immigrants in the city and surrounding communities had disagreed with the second place finisher.

“It wasn’t a gift and most people recognize that,” insisted the station executive. “But if that false notion is allowed to resonate, then it could sow the seeds of doubt and could lead to disruption, which is something we wouldn’t wish to happen. That’s why we are proceeding with cautious optimism. At this time in Haiti, the opposition, civil society and the elite have a lot of power and I hope they don’t abuse it.”

Dr. Henry Frank, executive director of the Haitian Centers Council, dislikes the way the international community helped to broker a settlement of the post-election conflict, but is also “cautiously optimistic” that peace and progress would result from Preval’s election.

“It’s obvious to everyone that Preval is the man most Haitians wanted to lead the country, but the part played by the international community has put a question mark over his election and therefore his legitimacy as president,” said Frank. “It would have been far better if he had allowed the process to go forward by having a run-off election in March, which I am sure he would have won. As it stands, some of his opponents would raise questions about his legitimacy and that could lead to trouble later on.”

A run-off election would have solved that – he was referring to the pressure that United Nations officials, representatives of the Organization of American States, Brazil and other countries with peacekeepers in Haiti put on the Electoral Council in Port-au-Prince to certify Preval’s election. The election body did that by throwing out many of the previously invalidated votes from the final count, a move that increased Preval’s percentage, putting him over the 50 percent plus one.

“It would have been much better if they had remained firm and forced the run-off,” Frank said. “Then there wouldn’t have been any doubts. I am confident Preval would have won any how.”

Dupuy sees it otherwise. He thinks a run-off could have triggered more demonstrations over fear that the opposition would have sought to frustrate the will of the people. “There was a realistic fear that it could lead to more trouble and that’s something we don’t wish for our country,” he stated.