Haiti Sets December as Date for First Presidential Election in 10 Years

Haiti’s electoral council has set December as the date for the country’s first presidential election in ten years, with a second round scheduled for February, after plans to hold the two rounds in August and December were postponed due to security concerns.

Haiti has not held an election since 2016.

Jovenel Moïse, the country’s last president, was assassinated in 2021 after postponing the vote. Successive governments were tasked with organizing elections, but they said that the lack of security amid a conflict with powerful armed gangs had made it impossible to proceed.

The council published a timetable on Monday setting December 13 as the date for the first round of Haiti’s presidential and legislative elections, with the second round scheduled for February 21. It also set March 7 as the date for the publication of the final results.

The timetable indicates that voters are also expected to vote on constitutional amendments and elect local representatives.

The council stressed that the timetable is contingent on “establishing an acceptable security environment and securing the funds necessary to conduct the electoral process.”

Earlier this month, the council announced that it had begun voter registration and training security personnel for the elections. It also published a final list of more than 300 political parties approved to participate in the upcoming electoral process.

Violent armed gangs control much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, where approximately one-quarter of the population lives. Gang activity has also spread to Haiti’s central and rural areas.

These gangs are accused of carrying out kidnappings, mass rapes, arson attacks, indiscriminate killings, and trafficking in weapons, human organs, and drugs.