• Haiti takes steps to holding first elections since 2016
• CEP was created and tasked with organising elections for 2026
• Haiti has faced many issues since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, and then gangs taking over in 2024

Haiti takes steps to holding first elections since 2016

Haiti’s government has taken a significant step toward holding long-overdue elections with the establishment of a new electoral body. On Wednesday, a nine-member provisional electoral council (CEP) was created and tasked with organising elections by February 2026.

This marks the first major movement toward a national vote since 2016, the last time Haitians elected a leader. Since then, widespread violence has engulfed the nation, with armed gangs controlling much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and large parts of the countryside.

So far, seven members of the CEP have been appointed, representing diverse sectors including the media, academia, trade unions, and religious groups.

Haiti has faced a power vacuum since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, who was elected in 2016. Following his murder, Prime Minister Ariel Henry took charge, but his authority has been unstable due to the escalating gang violence.

In February 2024, gangs took control of the international airport in Port-au-Prince, preventing Henry from returning from a summit in Guyana. He resigned in April, and a Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) was formed to guide Haiti until elections can be held. The TPC appointed Garry Conille as interim prime minister to lead until a new government is democratically elected.

Despite these challenges, the formation of the CEP offers a glimmer of hope that Haiti may soon be able to hold elections and work toward restoring stability.