Haiti solemnly marks quake anniversary

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Thousands of Haitians gathered in front of Port-au-Prince's ruined cathedral Wednesday to observe the first anniversary of the catastrophic earthquake.

At 4:53 p.m., the time the earthquake hit, the country will fall silent to officially honor the dead, CNN reported.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, visiting as the U.N. envoy to Haiti, said the slow recovery is frustrating, but he expects it to pick up.

Clinton said delays bogged down reconstruction after the Jan. 12, 2010, quake that killed more than a quarter-million people, the BBC reported.

"No one is more frustrated than I am that we haven't done more," Clinton said while visiting a site where workers crush the rubble of destroyed buildings to use in concrete for rebuilding.

The earthquake "took out a third of the capital area and wrecked a lot of the streets," Clinton told the BBC. "Yes it's slow … but I think you will see the pace pick up."

The Organization of American States is waiting until the anniversary passes to hand President Rene Preval its review of the disputed Nov. 28 presidential election, which is expected to call for eliminating his favored successor, Jude Celestin, from the runoff.