OMM Redaksiyası
Haiti has postponed its long-planned general elections indefinitely as gang violence, territorial blockades and administrative obstacles continue to impede preparations, the country’s Provisional Electoral Council said.
In a statement released Monday, the council said some deadlines in the electoral process were being rescheduled following consultations with political actors and the adoption of amendments to the Electoral Decree by the Council of Ministers on Oct. 5, 2026.
The campaign period has been suspended, and new dates will be announced after the council finalizes an updated framework with authorized political bodies. The online deadline for candidate registration and document submissions has been extended to Oct. 31. The council also urged eligible citizens to continue registering on voter rolls.
The elections had been scheduled for Dec. 13. Voters were to choose a president, all members of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, departmental assemblies and municipal administrations.
Haiti has had no general election since 2016 and currently has no nationally elected officials. The political vacuum deepened after President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in July 2021, as legislative terms expired.
A transitional arrangement established in 2024 governs the country. The Transitional Presidential Council was formed after former Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned under pressure from gangs. It led the executive alongside appointed Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime, who governed largely by decree.
The Transitional Presidential Council’s mandate ended in February, leaving Fils-Aime and his Cabinet in charge of the interim period.
Heavily armed criminal groups control large areas of Port-au-Prince and surrounding regions, displacing about 1.5 million people and cutting off routes needed to distribute voting materials.
A UN-backed Gang Suppression Force is operating across the country to curb violence and establish security conditions for future elections.
