Haiti Postpones Elections Indefinitely as Gang Violence Hinders Preparations
Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council has postponed this year's planned elections without naming a new date. Ongoing gang violence is complicating preparations for the vote.
Haitian officials announced on Tuesday that elections scheduled for later this year have been postponed indefinitely. The Caribbean country last held elections in 2016, and no successor has been chosen for the president who was assassinated in 2021.
The first round of presidential and legislative voting had been planned for December 13, with a second round on February 21, 2027. In its statement, the Provisional Electoral Council said the period originally set aside for the campaign had been pushed back, but it gave no new date. The timetable will be published as soon as possible and will be revised to reflect technical and operational requirements. Voter registration is continuing. A council member, speaking to AFP anonymously, confirmed that the December 13 date no longer stands and that a new schedule is being prepared.
As of Tuesday, only 769,000 voters had registered since the process began on July 20.
Security crisis obstructs the vote
Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas. The situation has worsened in recent years as gangs have stepped up killings, kidnappings, rape and the recruitment of children. According to the International Organization for Migration, nearly 1.5 million of the roughly 11 million inhabitants are internally displaced. Several gang-controlled municipalities have no registration centres, and road closures caused by gang threats have blocked the delivery of electoral materials to parts of the country.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk said last week that at least 5,700 people have been killed or wounded in gang violence this year, and more than 1,000 women and girls have been raped. The figures, which cover the period to September 11, also include 230 kidnappings, though the real numbers are likely much higher.
A UN-backed Gang Suppression Force is meant to support the overwhelmed local police. It is supposed to reach 5,500 personnel but currently has about 1,500. The UN Security Council extended its mandate by six months late last month.
Residents' views differ: taxi driver Davidson Jean Baptiste said he had little hope of voting this year, while Claudette Piard said she hopes the country can return to democracy soon.
