Haiti: Government Links Security Reassertion to Relaunch of Electoral Process

The Haitian government reaffirmed, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, its determination to re-establish state authority and organize elections, during the 35th edition of Mardis de la Nation, held at the Primature. Speaking on behalf of the government led by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, the Secretary of State for Public Security, Mario Andrésol, assured that public security remains an absolute strategic priority. He recalled the existence of a “structured, sustainable, and irreversible” offensive against insecurity and highlighted the strategic cooperation framework signed at the end of July 2025 between the Ministry of Justice and Public Security and the UNDP, aimed at strengthening the sovereign capacities of the State. This framework is structured around five axes, including strategic security management, strengthening the legal framework, supporting governmental decision-making, community resilience, and combating transnational crime. The stated objective is the gradual reassertion of control over the territory, particularly in the West, Artibonite, and Centre departments, the areas most affected by gang violence. Mario Andrésol also addressed the operation to unblock national roads, which was suspended amid strong political tensions. He explained that the decision had been taken, but rumors of a coup d'état had led the Director General of the Police to interrupt operations to secure strategic points, causing a one to two-week halt and a delay in the plan's execution. Regarding the electoral aspect, the Minister Delegate for Electoral and Constitutional Affairs, Joseph André Gracien Jean, reaffirmed the government's commitment to supporting the process. He highlighted the modernization of the electoral decree and calendar, as well as the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the CEP and Mexico's National Electoral Institute, focused on capacity building, electoral register management, and the use of technology. He also recalled the launch of a program to strengthen political parties, which has already involved 1,770 members from 240 structures, and announced the upcoming registration of parties as well as the updating of the electoral register. On the financial side, the State mobilized 82.9 million dollars for 2025, with an available balance of 41.5 million dollars, managed by a committee involving the CEP, the Ministry of Planning, and the UNDP. Through these announcements, the executive intends to make security and elections the two pillars for the return to institutional stability and democratic life. The Editorial Staff