Haitians jammed polling stations today as UN peacekeepers fanned out to guard the country's first presidential election in nearly six years, a vote widely viewed as a key step toward steering the bloodied, impoverished nation away from collapse.

Former Haitian exile Gerard Latortue has been sworn in as the country’s prime minister, promising to unite the country after months of bloodshed and political strife that led to the ousting of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

A US-backed advisory council picked Gerard Latortue, a former UN official and business consultant as Haiti’s new prime minister, a step toward forming a transitional government and organising elections in the troubled nation.