Former Haitian President Rene Preval has died at the age of 74, the country's government confirmed on Friday.

Preval was Haiti’s first democratically elected president to serve two separate terms, from 1996 to 2001 and from 2006 to 2011.

During his first term in office, Preval was praised for a focus on infrastructure development.

His second presidency was challenged after a devastating earthquake hit the capital Port-au-Prince, killing more than 200,000 people. The Preval government was accused of not properly managing humanitarian aid.

However, Preval remained a potent political figure in Haiti even after leaving office.

Current President Jovenel Moise extended his condolences on Twitter and described Preval as a “dignified son of Haiti.”

(With inputs from Reuters)