Doha: Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) has scheduled the country's first presidential and legislative elections in a decade for December 13, postponing a vote originally planned for August. The Caribbean nation is striving to restore democratic governance amid a deepening security crisis.
According to Qatar News Agency, the electoral timetable released by the council also includes a second round of the presidential and legislative elections set for February 21, 2027, with final results expected on March 7. Voters will have the opportunity to cast ballots on proposed constitutional amendments, while local elections are planned to coincide with the second round.
The CEP stated that the electoral timetable is reliant on an acceptable security environment and the availability of sufficient funding to conduct the elections. Earlier this month, the council initiated voter registration, began training election security personnel, and published a final list of over 300 political parties approved to contest the polls.
Haiti has not conducted elections since 2016. Efforts to organize a vote have been repeatedly hindered by escalating insecurity following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021. Heavily armed gangs have tightened their control over much of Port-au-Prince and expanded their influence into other parts of the country, severely undermining efforts to restore democratic governance.
The ongoing violence has plunged Haiti into a prolonged political and humanitarian crisis, with gangs controlling large areas of the capital. The situation poses significant challenges to conducting free and fair elections and restoring stability in the nation.