Port-au-Prince - The lower house of Haiti's Parliament on Thursday backed the nomination by President Rene Preval that would put a woman into the office of prime minister. 

Sixty-one legislators voted for Michele Pierre-Louis, 20 voted against. There was one abstention. Preval pushed her to run for office in June. 

After the first round of voting, the Senate must also approve - after already rejecting two of Preval's previouis nominations. 

Pierre Louis, 61, has for years led the nongovernmental organization Fokal, which supports women and children in Haiti. 

Haiti was in turmoil in April over escalating food prices. The resulting political upheaval toppled the government of Jacques- Edouard Alexis. (dpa)