Haiti certifies presidential victory of first-time candidate

A supporter of presidential candidate Jovenel Moise holds up a campaign poster as he celebrates his candidate's victory in Petion-Ville, Haiti, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017. An electoral tribunal certified on Tuesday the presidential election victory of the first-time candidate. He will be sworn in on Feb. 7. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) (The Associated Press)

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A supporter of presidential candidate Maryse Narcisse burns tires to protest the final election results in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017. An electoral tribunal certified the presidential election victory of first-time candidate Jovenel Moise. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) (The Associated Press)

A national police officer points his gun at supporters of presidential candidate Maryse Narcisse protesting final election results in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017. An electoral tribunal certified the presidential election victory of first-time candidate Jovenel Moise. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) (The Associated Press)

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – An electoral tribunal in Haiti has certified the presidential election victory of first-time candidate Jovenel Moise.

The panel of judges evaluating the Nov. 20 election found some irregularities but no evidence of the massive fraud that some of the losing candidates had alleged. The decision was announced Tuesday.

Moise defeated 26 rivals in the first round and avoided a runoff. He won more than 55 percent of the vote, though turnout was low at 21 percent. Authorities had annulled an initial October 2015 election after a special commission found significant fraud.

Moise is a businessman from northern Haiti who was picked by former President Michel Martelly to run as the candidate of the Tet Kale party.

He will be sworn in on Feb. 7.