Asso­ci­ated Press

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Oppo­nents of Haiti’s pres­i­dent hope to halt traf­fic and shut down busi­nesses in the cap­i­tal to press for a post­pone­ment of Nov. 28 elections.

Trans­port union leader Miguel St. Louis says a gen­eral strike is planned for Thursday.

Pro­test­ers will demand that a new elec­toral coun­cil be formed before the elec­tion. Oppo­nents of Pres­i­dent Rene Preval say the coun­cilors are corrupt.

The stakes will be high for the next pres­i­dent, with bil­lions of dol­lars in recon­struc­tion con­tracts com­ing into Haiti.

Though few Haitians have for­mal jobs, calls for a gen­eral strike can often result in par­a­lyz­ing protests. Frus­tra­tions are high over the slow pace of reconstruction.

Some res­i­dents stocked up on gas and water Wednesday.

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