Reforming Local Authorities in Haiti: A National Urgency
By La Rédaction · Port-au-Prince
· 4 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
Since the 1987 Constitution, Haiti has sought to establish a system of local authorities capable of bringing the state closer to its citizens, promoting local democracy, and stimulating territorial development. The law provided for three levels: communal sections, communes, and departments, each with deliberative and executive bodies. The objective was clear: to empower local populations to manage their affairs, while ensuring popular participation and local autonomy.
A Constitutional Mission That Remained Largely Theoretical
In reality, this mission has never been accomplished. Communal sections, which should be the foundation of local democracy, often operate without resources, offices, or their own budget. Communes, led by municipalities unable to mobilize necessary resources, cannot provide essential services such as civil registration, waste management, or road maintenance. Departments, for their part, have never seen the establishment of true elected councils and remain dominated by delegates appointed by the central government. Local authorities exist on paper, but their autonomy is almost non-existent, their role symbolic, and their functioning entirely dependent on the central government. This centralist imbalance prevents any coherent planning and hinders local development. Theoretical but Insufficient and Poorly Managed Resources
The Constitution and the law have provided resources to finance local authorities: property taxes, business licenses, public market taxes, and other local fees. Furthermore, a Fund for the Management and Development of Local Authorities was created to supply local budgets. However, these mechanisms remain ineffective. Local taxes are rarely collected correctly, funds are centralized and redistributed irregularly, and the population often does not pay due to a lack of visible services. Local authorities thus survive in total dependence and a structural inability to carry out their missions. Untrained and Abandoned Elected Officials
Another major weakness lies in the skills of elected officials. The majority of CASEC, ASEC, mayors, and delegates have received no training in public administration, taxation, territorial planning, or governance. Their legitimacy is based on popularity or political ties, not competence. Deprived of training and technical support, they improvise local management, often in inefficiency and disorder, leading to misuse of resources and a feeling of abandonment among the population. The Missed Role of Political Parties
Political parties were supposed to be the pillars supporting local elected officials. They were meant to train activists, prepare coherent programs, and produce a political elite capable of managing local authorities. In Haiti, the opposite has occurred. Parties use local authorities as electoral instruments, prioritize loyalty over competence, and often lack any local structure. This situation has created a system where elected officials are dependent on the party and not serving the populations. The Proliferation of Parties Without Popular Base
The problem is exacerbated by the proliferation of legalized parties that have neither active members nor a real presence in the territory. Many of these parties exist only on paper and represent a tiny minority of citizens. This fragmentation weakens democracy, divides society, and leaves local authorities without credible political representation. It also contributes to excessive centralization and citizens' disillusionment with official politics. The Vicious Cycle
The lack of resources, the incompetence of elected officials, the absence of training, and the use of local authorities as political instruments create a vicious cycle. Local authorities are ineffective, the population loses confidence, and the central government continues to control the entire system. Local elected officials are isolated, unsupported, and unable to play their role. An Urgent Policy of Refoundation
To break this cycle, it is imperative to adopt a real and citizen-centered decentralization policy. Local authorities must have autonomous financial resources, thanks to modernized and transparent local taxation. Elected officials must receive mandatory and continuous training through a National School of Territorial Governance, in order to acquire the necessary technical and administrative skills. Political parties must be reformed to require a minimum number of members, a territorial presence, and a clear development program, ensuring real support for elected officials. Towards Effective and Responsible Local Authorities
Only such an approach will allow local authorities to play their true role: a driver of local development, a relay of democracy, and the foundation of a modern and balanced state. The refoundation of local authorities is not a luxury; it is a national urgency for Haiti and for the dignity of our citizens.
Port-au-Prince, August 22, 2025
Joseph Georges Duperval
General Coordinator
BATON JENÈS LA
In reality, this mission has never been accomplished. Communal sections, which should be the foundation of local democracy, often operate without resources, offices, or their own budget. Communes, led by municipalities unable to mobilize necessary resources, cannot provide essential services such as civil registration, waste management, or road maintenance. Departments, for their part, have never seen the establishment of true elected councils and remain dominated by delegates appointed by the central government. Local authorities exist on paper, but their autonomy is almost non-existent, their role symbolic, and their functioning entirely dependent on the central government. This centralist imbalance prevents any coherent planning and hinders local development. Theoretical but Insufficient and Poorly Managed Resources
The Constitution and the law have provided resources to finance local authorities: property taxes, business licenses, public market taxes, and other local fees. Furthermore, a Fund for the Management and Development of Local Authorities was created to supply local budgets. However, these mechanisms remain ineffective. Local taxes are rarely collected correctly, funds are centralized and redistributed irregularly, and the population often does not pay due to a lack of visible services. Local authorities thus survive in total dependence and a structural inability to carry out their missions. Untrained and Abandoned Elected Officials
Another major weakness lies in the skills of elected officials. The majority of CASEC, ASEC, mayors, and delegates have received no training in public administration, taxation, territorial planning, or governance. Their legitimacy is based on popularity or political ties, not competence. Deprived of training and technical support, they improvise local management, often in inefficiency and disorder, leading to misuse of resources and a feeling of abandonment among the population. The Missed Role of Political Parties
Political parties were supposed to be the pillars supporting local elected officials. They were meant to train activists, prepare coherent programs, and produce a political elite capable of managing local authorities. In Haiti, the opposite has occurred. Parties use local authorities as electoral instruments, prioritize loyalty over competence, and often lack any local structure. This situation has created a system where elected officials are dependent on the party and not serving the populations. The Proliferation of Parties Without Popular Base
The problem is exacerbated by the proliferation of legalized parties that have neither active members nor a real presence in the territory. Many of these parties exist only on paper and represent a tiny minority of citizens. This fragmentation weakens democracy, divides society, and leaves local authorities without credible political representation. It also contributes to excessive centralization and citizens' disillusionment with official politics. The Vicious Cycle
The lack of resources, the incompetence of elected officials, the absence of training, and the use of local authorities as political instruments create a vicious cycle. Local authorities are ineffective, the population loses confidence, and the central government continues to control the entire system. Local elected officials are isolated, unsupported, and unable to play their role. An Urgent Policy of Refoundation
To break this cycle, it is imperative to adopt a real and citizen-centered decentralization policy. Local authorities must have autonomous financial resources, thanks to modernized and transparent local taxation. Elected officials must receive mandatory and continuous training through a National School of Territorial Governance, in order to acquire the necessary technical and administrative skills. Political parties must be reformed to require a minimum number of members, a territorial presence, and a clear development program, ensuring real support for elected officials. Towards Effective and Responsible Local Authorities
Only such an approach will allow local authorities to play their true role: a driver of local development, a relay of democracy, and the foundation of a modern and balanced state. The refoundation of local authorities is not a luxury; it is a national urgency for Haiti and for the dignity of our citizens.
Port-au-Prince, August 22, 2025
Joseph Georges Duperval
General Coordinator
BATON JENÈS LA
