Haiti postpones campaign for first national election since 2016
Haiti's electoral council has postponed the campaign for its first national election since 2016 and extended candidate sign-ups to Oct. 31. A council member told AFP the planned Dec. 13 vote date "no longer stands." Only about 769,000 people, roughly a tenth of adults, have registered to vote.
Haiti's long-awaited election is slipping again. The Provisional Electoral Council said Tuesday it has postponed the official campaign, which was due to start Oct. 5. It gave no new dates and said a revised timetable will be released "as soon as possible," AFP reported.
The first round of presidential and legislative voting had been set for Dec. 13, with a runoff on Feb. 21, 2027. A council member, speaking anonymously to AFP, said "the December 13 date no longer stands." The Haitian Times reported that the council has not officially replaced that date yet.
The council also extended candidate registration from Oct. 9 to Oct. 31. It said parties need more time to file papers after the government changed the election decree on Monday. As of Oct. 6, early figures showed 12 presidential candidates, 271 Senate hopefuls and 852 for the Chamber of Deputies, the Haitian Times reported.
Voter sign-up is slow. Just over 768,000 people have registered since July 20. That is about 10% of the country's estimated 7.7 million adults. Some areas under gang control have no registration centers, and gang threats have blocked roads used to deliver election materials, AFP said.
"Who can claim to hold elections in a country where the citizens are more concerned about insecurity," a taxi driver in Port-au-Prince told AFP.
The violence is severe. The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, said at least 5,700 people were killed or injured in gang-related violence from January through Sept. 11. More than 1,000 women and girls were raped, he said. Nearly 1.5 million Haitians have fled their homes, the International Organization for Migration says.
A UN-backed Gang Suppression Force is slowly arriving to help police. It is meant to reach 5,500 personnel but has about 1,500 so far, AFP reported. The UN Security Council recently extended its mandate.
Some background: Haiti has not held elections since 2016. Its last president was assassinated in 2021 and has not been replaced. Elections are seen as a key step toward a stable government.
What we know: The campaign is postponed and sign-ups run through Oct. 31.
What we don't: When Haitians will actually vote.
Where outlets agree AFP and The Haitian Times both report that the electoral council postponed the campaign and that only about 768,000 to 769,000 voters have registered.
Where they differ A council member told AFP the Dec. 13 date no longer stands, while The Haitian Times notes the council has not officially replaced it.