Haiti's Senate voted just after midnight Friday to dismiss Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis, following almost 10 hours of debate.

Senate President Kely Bastien, who is not allowed to cast a vote under Senate rules, said a letter will be sent to President Rene Preval notifying him of the Senate's 18-0 decision.

A number of senators who opposed the move to fire Pierre-Louis had left the Senate floor shortly before the vote, believing that they had successfully filibustered the attempt when the clock struck midnight here.

"There is nothing illegal about the vote," said Bastien, adding that Haiti "could have a new prime minister as early as today or Saturday."

The session began almost two hours after the scheduled start time and lawmakers spent hours debating procedures with supporters of Pierre-Louis, who questioned the validity of the senators' move to censure her.

Her supporters made impassioned pleas and cries of "illegal" and "unconstitutional" from the Senate floor.

Senators have accused Pierre-Louis, a favorite of the international community, of not moving quickly to solve Haiti's crucial problems: high unemployment, lack of significant foreign investments and environmental deterioration.

Pierre-Louis, in office for a year, said she has spent much of her tenure getting international support for Haiti after four back-to-back storms devastated the country last year, and it is too soon to see the results of her work.

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