Planning and Cooperation Minister, Sandra Paulemon, says the staging of elections in Haiti remains a major priority for the government as efforts continue to ensure complete coherence in the implementation of the electoral calendar.
Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) has scheduled the first round of long-awaited presidential and legislative elections, alongside a constitutional referendum, for December 13, this year. It marks the first time Haitians will be casting ballots since 2016 when President Jovenel Moise was elected. Moise was later assassinated on July 7,2021.
The preliminary results are expected to be published December 19, with final results for the first round scheduled for January 9, 2027. A second round of presidential and legislative elections, along with local elections, is scheduled for February 21, 2027 with final results for the second round of presidential and legislative elections scheduled for March 7, with final local election results expected March 12.
The electoral campaign for the first round is scheduled to begin October 5 and run through December 12. The campaign for the second round is scheduled for January 10 through February 20, 2027.
On Monday, the CEP said it had approved 15 of the 18 political groupings registered for the elections with the other three parties given until Tuesday to regularize their status.
The registration process for political groups is continuing this week in accordance with Haiti’s electoral calendar that also calls for voter registration to continue through October 13, while candidate registration is scheduled to begin August 20 and run through Oct. 2.
Paulemon held meetings with the Steering Committee for the Electoral Process Support Project that includes CEP president, Jacques Desrosiers, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), Carlos Ruiz Massieu, as well as Xavier Michon, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Haiti,and representatives from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS-Haiti) and the Organization of American States (OAS).
Paulemon in her remarks reiterated that organising the elections is the priority of the Alix Didier Fils-Aimé government, adding that all public institutions have been mobilised around a common roadmap to ensure complete coherence in the implementation of the electoral calendar.
She said that the success of the elections cannot depend solely on technical and financial resources, recalling that last February, key stakeholders signed the National Pact for Stability and the Organization of Elections, which unites several stakeholders including state institutions, political parties, civil society, the private sector, religious organizations and the the media.
Paulemon said that an entire generation of young Haitians has grown up without having experienced national elections or the democratic debates and that the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country has not yet truly entered into the electoral mode.
‘We want to hear special election programmes on radio and television, see information panels and posters in the streets, awareness campaigns in neighbourhoods, young people discussing democratic issues, families exchanging information about their right to vote, citizen organizations mobilizing, and public institutions conveying a unified message of hope.
‘We want every Haitian to feel that the elections are truly approaching and that democracy is gradually regaining its place in national life,’ she said, encouraging the CEP to resolutely move the country into a genuine electoral mode.
‘It’s not just about respecting a schedule, but about creating a national dynamic capable of restoring confidence, fostering citizen participation, and reviving democratic hope. The elections must be visible, audible, and present in the daily lives of citizens, so that everyone feels fully involved in this historic event.’
Paulemon in reaffirming the government’s financial commitment, said that US$120 million has been allocated for organizing the elections, assuring also that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure these resources are mobilized immediately, without being subject to the usual administrative delays.
‘Our commitment is clear: the electoral calendar will not be slowed down by State budgetary procedures,’ she said, adding that the ‘government has decided to give priority to imports of electoral materials at ports and customs, to fully mobilise the National Identification Office (ONI) in order to expedite the issuance of identification cards, to ensure ongoing coordination between the security authorities and the Electoral Council, and to facilitate, with local authorities, the deployment of polling stations and materials throughout the country.’
The Planning and External Cooperation Minister said that her ministry will continue its coordinating role calling on both the CEP and the UNDP to immediately release the necessary resources for the implementation of the national electoral information and awareness campaign.
‘We want awareness messages to begin being broadcast on all radio stations, television channels, and digital platforms in the coming days. We want to see billboards and banners in our cities, messages on public transportation, and campaigns on social media, so that every citizen knows that Haiti is committed to the path of elections,’ said Paulemonin .