Protests in Haiti Continue Despite Efforts to Reach Election Deal

MOSCOW, January 12 (Sputnik) — Protests in Haiti continue despite efforts by the country's President Michael Martelly to reach a last-minute agreement to end a political standoff with opposition leaders over long-delayed elections, the BBC reported Monday.

The protests come ahead of the Monday deadline for the dissolution of the country's parliament. If no agreement is reached between the opposition and the government by midnight, the Haitian parliament will be dissolved.

Martelly was to call a general election back in 2011. However, no elections have occurred.

A wave of protests over the delayed elections in Haiti began in December 2014. Protesters accused the government of corruption and abuse of power. On Sunday, police in Port-au-Prince, the capital city of Haiti, fired tear gas on hundreds of protesters who were demanding the president's resignation, according to the BBC.

The opposition has repeatedly accused Martelly of plotting to rule by decree and have demanded his resignation. As a deal with the opposition, the country's Prime Minister, Laurent Lamothe, resigned on December 14 and was replaced by Evans Paul. This move has had no effect and the demonstrations have continued.

The ongoing political crisis has been exacerbated by the devastating 2010 earthquake which resulted in over 200,000 deaths, destroyed the country's infrastructure and left thousands of Haitians living in temporary camps.