René Préval, President of Haiti in 2010 Quake, Dies at 74
Mr. Préval, whose first two marriages ended in divorce, is survived by his wife, Elisabeth
Delatour Préval, two daughters, Patricia and Dominique, and two stepsons.
Mr. Préval was the first — and so far only — Haitian president to be elected, serve out his term
and hand over power to an elected successor, an extraordinary accomplishment in a fragile democracy besieged by decades of turmoil.
Mr. Préval later returned and was elected president,
but he did not have the charisma of his political benefactor, and Mr. Aristide was considered the true power behind his presidency.
The ensuing inauguration was a Haitian milestone: Mr. Préval became the first Haitian leader to be
freely elected, serve a full constitutional term and then peacefully hand power to a successor.
Jocelerme Privert, a former provisional president who was a member of Mr. Préval’s cabinet
and a longtime friend, said Mr. Préval was known for daily 8 a.m. cabinet meetings that actually began on time.
He and Father Aristide became friends, and Mr. Préval rose in prominence in Father Aristide’s Lavalas movement, which was popular with Haiti’s quickly growing urban poor
and fiercely opposed by the country’s tiny ruling elite.
