GNV News, 9 October 2026

On 6 October 2026, Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council announced that it would postpone the first round of presidential and parliamentary elections that had been scheduled for December 13. No new date has been set, and the period in which no national elections are held in Haiti will reach 10 years. Haiti gained independence in 1804 after a revolution against French rule, but since then it has continued to suffer from political upheaval and poverty, including reparations imposed by France and interventions by the United States, and it is now considered the poorest country in the Americas.

Behind the absence of national elections lies the presence of forces commonly called “gangs.” Such groups have existed for decades, but what decisively plunged the country into turmoil was the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. He was the last president elected in the 2016 elections, and after his assassination, a provisional government has remained in place, with not a single elected official in office since 2023. In February 2026, executive authority was transferred to Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, who has served as interim prime minister since 2024, but the expansion of the gangs has not been halted. They now control most of the capital and key transportation hubs in rural areas, and recruitment of children into gangs has surged.

From January to September 2026, more than 5,700 people were killed or injured in the violence and security operations, and more than 1,000 women and girls are believed to have been victims of rape. About 1.5 million people have been displaced from their homes. Due to the deteriorating security situation, voter registration centers cannot be set up in areas controlled by armed groups, and road blockades have prevented the delivery of election materials. Of the estimated adult population (18 and over) of about 7.7 million, only 769,000 people had registered to vote as of October 6, 2026.

Without improved security, elections cannot be held, and as long as governance remains weak, security cannot be maintained. The force expected to break this vicious cycle is the UN-authorized anti-gang mission supporting the local police (the GSF), but its size remains at about 1,500 personnel, far short of the target of 5,500.

Learn more about Haiti’s history so far → “Haiti: Absence of Government and Its Prospects”

Learn more about the relationship between Haiti’s interim prime minister and the United States → “Haiti’s Interim Presidential Council Transfers Authority to Interim Prime Minister”

Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, Haiti (Photo: OEA – OAS / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0]）