Popular singer Michel Martelly has won the latest Haitian presidential election, the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) announced on Monday.

Preliminary results showed that Martelly won 67,57% of the votes cast, compared with the 31,74% garnered by the other candidate, former first lady Mirlande Manigat.

Martelly ranked only third in the first round of the presidential election held in November, but could participate in the 20 March run-off after the original runner-up was forced to withdraw due to large-scale protests.

The final results will be announced on 16 April, and the new president is expected to take office in May.

Born in 1961 and known as "Sweet Micky," the political newcomer has vowed to steer his country, which is still reeling from the effects of an earthquake, a cholera epidemic and political turmoil, toward a better future.

Some 800 000 people are still living in camps more than one year after the January 2010 temblor, which killed over 220 000 and devastated the Caribbean country.

More is still needed to be done to contain the cholera epidemic, which has left more than 4 700 people dead since October.

– BuaNews-Xinhua