Haiti: Training for Political Parties Ahead of Upcoming Elections

PORT-AU-PRINCE.— Under the high patronage of the Presidency and the Prime Minister's Office, and with the support of the Ministry of Justice, a series of training workshops for political parties was launched this week in the capital. The initiative, led in the West by the Center for the Promotion of Democracy and Participatory Education (CPDEP), is part of a national program deployed in the country's ten departments. For three days, party leaders, administrative executives, and civil society representatives gathered to work on essential themes as an electoral process, deemed crucial for the country's future, approaches. Several major political groups, including PHTK, Fanmi Lavalas, OPL, AAA, Pitit Dessalines, and EDE, took part in the sessions. Discussions focused on the legal framework governing parties, citizen participation, democratic governance, as well as transparency and political accountability. Speakers also emphasized the need for inter-party dialogue and continuous training to ensure credible and inclusive elections. A Space for Reflection on the Role of Parties in the Crisis Participants were invited to examine the ideological foundations of their organizations and reflect on their role in a country affected by a multidimensional crisis. A collective exercise, titled «What role should political parties play in the crisis Haiti is experiencing?», helped identify several avenues regarding the responsibility of these structures in rebuilding the democratic system. An Initiative Praised by Participants Considered a constructive approach in an unstable national context, this first series of training sessions was well-received. For Amos Piard, leader of the Konbit pou Demokrasi party, these workshops represent «a space for open exchanges and strategic reflection on the future of parties and political transition». He nevertheless recalled that citizen participation remains a major challenge due to insecurity and massive population displacement. For her part, Sheila Pélissier, gender coordinator for the Ayiti An Aksyon (AAA) party, welcomed a necessary initiative: «One cannot envision elections without structured parties. Training is essential, as is the political participation of women to uplift Haitian society». Other sessions are already planned in the various departments. The CPDEP states that this program aims to contribute to the rebuilding of a credible, functional political system truly focused on the needs of the population. Jean Mapou