Haiti Postpones Long-Awaited Elections

Haitian officials indefinitely postponed the presidential and legislative elections scheduled for December 13, 2026, citing crippling operational hurdles and severe security risks.

The Caribbean nation has not held elections since 2016 and remains without a president following the 2021 assassination of Jovenel Moïse.

The Provisional Electoral Council halted the campaign schedule without offering a new election date, though officials confirmed voter registration continues.

Electoral authorities noted that technical delays and rampant gang violence forced the decision.

As of Tuesday, organisers had registered only 769,000 voters out of a population of 11 million.

Persistent gang control presents insurmountable obstacles to organising a nationwide vote.

Armed groups cut off main transport routes, preventing the delivery of electoral materials, while several municipalities lack registration centres entirely.

United Nations figures report that gang violence has killed or wounded at least 5,700 people this year, displacing nearly 1.5 million citizens.

International efforts to restore order continue to flounder amid the worsening crisis.

The UN-backed Gang Suppression Force has deployed only 1,500 of its planned 5,500 personnel to assist local police.

Despite the postponement, international observers and residents maintain that establishing security remains the essential prerequisite for holding free and fair elections.