The president of Haiti's Electoral Council, Jacques Desrosiers, announced Wednesday that no general election could be held before the end of the interim government's mandate, scheduled for next February. The reason: the uncontrolled expansion of armed gangs, which makes free and secure voting impossible in most of the country.
Haiti, which has not held elections since 2016, is experiencing one of the most serious political and security crises in its recent history. Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, the capital, Port-au-Prince, and several neighboring regions have come under the control of heavily armed criminal groups. These rapidly expanding gangs impose their rule on roads, markets, and even residential neighborhoods, paralyzing any attempts at political organization.
"We can't hold elections before February. It's impossible," Desrosiers told Reuters. He said the Electoral Council attempted last June to assess the readiness of polling stations across the country, but many municipalities remain inaccessible due to insecurity. Since that assessment, the situation has further deteriorated, with gang control extending into previously unaffected rural areas, particularly in the Bas-Artibonite, the country's main agricultural region.
A United Nations report released Wednesday estimates that only six million Haitians, or about half the population, could have access to functioning polling stations under current conditions. Earlier this year, the transitional government had still talked about holding the election around November 15, 2025, a goal that is now out of reach.
The political impasse leaves deep uncertainty surrounding the country's institutional future. No clear plan has yet been announced for the period following the end of the interim government's mandate. Meanwhile, violence is escalating: kidnappings, clashes between rival gangs, and mass exoduses of civilians have become daily occurrences for millions of Haitians.
Without a rapid restoration of security, the prospects for a return to democracy are becoming even more remote. The international community, notably the UN and CARICOM, are calling for urgent intervention to stabilize the country and ultimately enable credible elections. But on the ground, the reality of gang warfare continues to prevent Haiti from turning the page on chaos.
