Haiti’s government has taken a crucial step toward long-overdue elections by establishing a provisional electoral council (CEP), tasked with organizing the polls by February 2026.
This nine-member council, formed on Wednesday, includes representatives from media, academia, trade unions, and religious groups. So far, seven members have been named. It marks the first serious move toward elections since Haitians last voted in 2016.
Since then, armed gangs have taken control of much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and rural areas. The formation of the CEP follows a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who urged Haiti’s government to advance the electoral process, calling the creation of the council a “critical next step.”
Haiti’s last presidential election took place in 2016, with Jovenel Moïse elected for a five-year term. Moïse’s assassination by Colombian mercenaries in July 2021 left the presidency vacant. Since then, Haiti has been governed by Prime Minister Ariel Henry, appointed by Moïse shortly before his murder.
However, after gangs seized the international airport in February 2024, preventing Henry’s return from a summit, he resigned in April. A transitional presidential council (TPC) was formed to lead until elections, and Garry Conille was appointed interim prime minister.
A Kenyan-led multinational security force was deployed to help the Haitian police regain control from the gangs. While some gang leaders have been apprehended, the criminal organizations’ power has grown, leading Prime Minister Conille to extend the state of emergency nationwide.
Despite this, the multinational force is underfunded, with only 600 Kenyans and a small Jamaican contingent in Haiti. Last week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres criticized the global community for its inadequate support, calling it “a scandal” that more funds have not been mobilized for Haiti’s dire situation.