Haiti Opens Registration for What Would Be the 1st Election in a Decade

Haiti’s government officially opened a 10-day registration period for political parties on March 2, 2026, paving the way for a long-awaited general election. This election is crucial for the country as it has not held one since 2016, primarily due to political instability and rampant gang violence.

The headquarters of Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council was heavily guarded by police and soldiers during the registration process. Various political operatives from well-established parties, as well as new ones, were in attendance to collect the necessary paperwork. Among them was Pierre Dieu-Donné Delice, leader of the newly formed party, Tools for Another Haiti. He expressed frustration with the continuing transitional government established after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.

Delice criticized the prolonged transitional governance, stating, “They love transition because there’s no control. They can do whatever they want.”

As of now, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé leads the interim government, which is backed by the U.S. However, the pervasive gang violence in Haiti, controlling an estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince, raises concerns about the feasibility of conducting safe elections. Delice noted the dire conditions, mentioning, “The conditions are not ready yet for an election," indicating that candidate campaigning would be nearly impossible due to ongoing violence.

In the previous year alone, over 5,900 individuals were reportedly killed in Haiti due to gang-related activities, with 1.4 million people displaced in a nation of nearly 12 million inhabitants.

As the registration process ends on March 12, Joseph André Gracien Jean, the minister overseeing electoral matters, stated that the government is committed to moving forward with the elections, regardless of current security conditions. He acknowledged the challenges but expressed hope that the registration step marks progress toward restoring democracy.

An updated security plan is being prepared to ensure safe election practices, with discussions about a gang suppression force replacing the current U.N. mission, which has been facing staffing and funding shortages.