To get the troubled Caribbean nation ready for its first general elections since 2016, the government of Haiti recently established a temporary electoral council, which has been long desired by the international community.
A member of the nation’s interim presidential council named Smith Augustin verified to The Associated Press that the electoral council was established, even though it only had seven members instead of the nine that the legislation intended. He predicted that the announcement of the remaining two members would come in the following days.
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The electoral council oversees planning the elections and assisting in the creation of the legislative framework necessary to organize them. It represents a variety of interests, including farmers, journalists, human rights advocates, and the Vodou community.
Since July 2021, Haiti has not had a president, and elections were last conducted there in 2016.
Former Prime Minister Ariel Henry abolished the previous electoral council in September 2021 because it was “partisan.” His action caused the November 2021 elections to be postponed, which led some to accuse Henry of clinging to power—a charge he refuted.
Transitional leaders include Henry himself. About two weeks after the assassination of former President Jovenel Moïse at his private residence in July 2021, he took the oath of office as prime minister. Henry had promised time and again to hold elections, but he kept saying he couldn’t because of the escalating gang violence.
Henry resigned earlier this year because of planned attacks on vital government infrastructure carried out by gangs who own 80% of Port-au-Prince.
Then, by February 2026, elections for president were to be held, and this was to be handled by a transitional presidential council.
There was a significant political void following Moïse’s murder.
In addition, the tenure of the 10 remaining senators terminated in January 2023, ridding Haiti of its final democratically elected institution. Since October 2019, the nation has not held parliamentary elections; instead, Moáse ruled by decree until his assassination.
