500 People Rally in Protest of Journalist's Killing in Haiti, Report Says

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, April 8 (UPI) -- Some 500 demonstrators Saturday marched more than four hours through Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, protesting Monday's killing of a prominent Haitian journalist, the British Broadcasting Corp. reported. With three days of national mourning coming to an end, the journalist, Jean Dominique, will be buried in a national funeral Saturday, the BBC said. 

Dominique, a radio broadcast journalist, was a close ally of President Rene Preval. His killing comes amid rising tensions and violent protests over President Preval's failure to hold elections. Preval had Saturday delayed parliamentary elections due this month for the fourth time, citing logistical difficulties such as registering new voters and drawing up a computerized list of their names. Preval has ruled by decree since January of last year, when he dissolved parliament to end months of political stalemate and installed a new prime minister and cabinet. Haiti has not held legislative elections since a 1997 ballot was cancelled because of alleged widespread fraud.