Haiti sets December 13 date for first elections in a decade if security allows

Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council has set December 13 for the country's first elections in a decade, if an "acceptable security environment" is in place and necessary funding is available.

The council's decree said the first round of presidential, legislative and local elections would be held that day, along with a vote on constitutional changes. A runoff round is scheduled for February 21, 2027, with final results to be published on March 7.

The timetable also said voter registration opened on July 20 and set an October 2 deadline for candidate registration.

The schedule remains uncertain because of Haiti's security crisis. Elections have not been held in the country since 2016, and its last elected president, Jovenel Moise, was assassinated in 2021.

Powerful gangs control large areas, including most of Port-au-Prince, raising doubts about whether sufficient security can be established before December.

A Kenya-led international force sent to support Haiti's police did not stem the violence and has since been transformed into a UN-authorized Gang Suppression Force with a broader mandate to confront armed groups. A force spokesperson told AFP earlier this month that additional reinforcements were expected in the coming weeks, with a goal of reaching 5,500 uniformed personnel and 50 civilian staff.

The United Nations' 2026 humanitarian aid plan for Haiti, earmarked at $880 million, is less than one-quarter funded. According to UN figures, nearly 1.5 million people are currently displaced in a country of about 11 million, and more than five million face severe food insecurity.

CARICOM, the Caribbean Community grouping of nations, welcomed the decree. Its Eminent Persons Group urged countries contributing to the Gang Suppression Force to deploy personnel as early as possible, saying support capacity should be strengthened well before the first round of voting.