CEP: Overview in View of the Referendum and Elections in Haiti
By Gesly Sinvilier · Port-au-Prince
· 3 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy

– Persistent insecurity in several regions of the country;
– The inability of many displaced citizens to retrieve their identity documents or voter cards;
– The absence of minimal logistical conditions to guarantee the transparency of the process. This postponement, though justified, has contributed to increasing uncertainties surrounding the political transition's timeline. *General Elections Increasingly Postponed* In principle, general elections – presidential, legislative, municipal – should follow the referendum. However, at present, no official date has been set. The CPT had initially committed to organizing the elections before the end of 2025 or early 2026. But insecurity, the weakness of the administrative apparatus, the absence of an updated electoral register, and the scale of the humanitarian crisis make this scenario increasingly improbable. Both the international community (CARICOM, OAS, UN) and local actors agree that elections must be held under acceptable conditions of participation, transparency, and security. Currently, these conditions are not met. Several observers therefore believe that 2026 is now the most realistic target for an effective return to the polls. *Rebuilding Trust and Creating Favorable Conditions* The return to democratic order through elections does not solely depend on the presence of a functioning CEP. It requires:
– Progressive disarmament and control of areas occupied by armed gangs;
– A massive effort to re-register and document the displaced population;
– Strong political and institutional guarantees;
– Frank and inclusive dialogue among the nation's vital forces. Meanwhile, the CEP continues its preparations, hoping that the necessary conditions can be met in the medium term. The country, for its part, remains suspended between the urgency of rebuilding its institutions and the impossibility of doing so under fragile conditions. Gesly J. Sinvilier



