Haiti’s Prime Minister announced Monday that deteriorating security conditions will prevent the Caribbean nation from conducting its scheduled August presidential election, as violent gangs continue to terrorize the country.
Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime made the announcement during a radio interview, stating that safety concerns make it impossible to proceed with voting as planned. The Caribbean’s most populated country has been waiting nearly ten years for a presidential election.
“It is clear that the security conditions are not met at the level for us to have elections in August,” Fils-Aime told Le Nouvelliste newspaper’s editor-in-chief during the Magik9 radio broadcast.
The Prime Minister expressed hope for conducting elections before year’s end, adding: “I would like for elections to happen by the end of the year. On February 7, we would have an elected president.”
Fils-Aime assumed leadership from a transitional presidential council this past February 7, a date traditionally significant for Haiti’s power transitions, though leaders often ignore this timeline to extend their rule.
The electoral process has faced numerous postponements as armed criminal organizations have strengthened their grip on the capital city and expanded into Haiti’s rural and central regions. This violence has resulted in thousands of deaths and forced more than one million residents from their homes in recent years.
Haiti’s previous president, Jovenel Moise, was murdered in 2021 after postponing elections. His assassination created a leadership void that allowed already powerful gangs to gain control over nearly all of Port-au-Prince.
The deteriorating security situation has hampered election preparations, as criminal groups solidify partnerships and extend their reach throughout the country, making it nearly impossible for officials to ensure legitimate and fair voting procedures.
Meanwhile, both the United Nations and United States have linked their promises to assist Haiti’s security forces with the government’s commitment to conducting elections.
Voter registration was supposed to begin April 1, and the electoral council had set August 30 for the first round of voting, with a runoff scheduled for December. More than 280 political organizations received approval to participate.
“We are not going to hand an encyclopedia to the population to choose from,” Fils-Aime explained. “Choice is a good thing but too much choice is not necessarily what is needed. I would love for us to have elections with 10 to 15 presidential candidates.”
The Prime Minister indicated his administration is negotiating with political organizations regarding electoral regulations, though he remains unsatisfied with the council’s proposed election budget.
Business leaders have recently reported increased gang attacks nationwide. Delphine Gardere, who leads the 154-year-old Rhum Barbancourt distillery, confirmed that one of her workers was fatally shot overnight in the capital city.
