Haiti’s electoral decree mandates that public officials intending to run for elected office must resign by specific deadlines, with interim executive agents required to step down by October 15. The Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Collectivities (MICT) issued a memo on Tuesday reminding these officials of the deadline established under the amended electoral decree.
The MICT’s circular cites Article 388 of the new decree, published on October 8, which specifies that transitional mayors, identified as interim executive agents, must resign within seven days of the decree’s issuance. The ministry emphasized the importance of compliance with this requirement.
As the Permanent Electoral Council (CEP) revises the electoral calendar and processes candidate applications, officials must adhere to the established resignation rules. While interim executive agents have until October 15 to resign, the deadline for ministers and other senior officials has already passed, as outlined in Article 387 of the decree.
The amendment to the electoral framework, approved by the Council of Ministers on October 5, builds on earlier provisions regarding candidate eligibility. Notably, the previous deadline for ministers and senior public officials was set for March 23, one month after the signing of a National Pact for Stability and the Organization of Elections.
As of now, no government officials have publicly declared their intentions to run for office or submitted their resignations. The MICT’s circular makes it clear that compliance with the resignation deadline is mandatory for those seeking candidacies.
Ministers and Senior Officials Faced an Earlier Deadline
Under Article 387, the deadline for the current cabinet members and senior officials seeking office has expired. The resignation requirement was set to take effect one month after the publication date of the National Pact, which appeared in the official gazette, Le Moniteur, on February 23.
The electoral decree includes rules that not only impact interim executive agents but also other categories of public officials, as stated in Article 153. This article specifies that candidates must submit proof of resignation, which includes notarized resignation letters and letters from institutional heads, as part of their candidacy documentation.
The CEP commenced the online registration of candidates on August 20, which will run until October 31. To register, political parties and coalitions must demonstrate a membership of at least 30,000 supporters, while independent candidates need to show evidence of 150,000 supporters.
On September 13, the CEP began accepting candidate declarations and supporting documents at various electoral offices. The registration process is ongoing, and while certain individuals have registered online—such as Delmas Mayor Wilson Jeudy and controversial prosecutor Jean Ernest Muscadin—they must still comply with the legal requirements for their candidacies to be validated.
Candidate Registration Extended as Election Calendar Remains Uncertain
In light of ongoing uncertainties, the CEP has extended the candidate registration deadline to October 31. Previously scheduled for October 14, the final list of candidates has yet to be announced. The electoral campaign start date has also been postponed, with the CEP stating it will issue an updated electoral calendar shortly.
Despite the current timeline indicating the first round of voting is still set for December 13, reports of potential delays have emerged. An anonymous source within the CEP indicated that a postponement could be likely due to various technical issues, but urged patience for an official announcement.
