As the government led by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé is reportedly preparing to publish a long-awaited electoral decree as early as this week, the document is already circulating on social media and sparking strong reactions. This text, which must be approved by the Council of Ministers, aims to organize the upcoming popular ratification as well as the presidential, legislative, and local elections. However, several of its provisions raise concerns about the independence of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) and equitable access to elections.
One of the most controversial points of the draft concerns the governance of the CEP. According to the circulating document, the government intends to subject the electoral institution to a body entirely controlled by the executive branch.
Article 8 of the decree provides that the CEP will be composed of three bodies: a Policy and Decision-Making Body (OOD), a Litigation Body (OC), and an Executive Body (OE) represented by a Director General. However, according to Article 17, this Director General is appointed by the Prime Minister, which, critics say, considerably reduces the CEP’s autonomy.
Articles 13 and 16 reinforce this interpretation by stripping the CEP President of any real administrative authority. The Director General is entrusted with the management of human, financial, and material resources, as well as the implementation of the OOD’s decisions. He would even be the only one authorized to announce election results.
Registration fees considered prohibitive
The draft also sets high registration fees, which risk restricting access to electoral competition. According to Article 157, presidential candidates will have to pay two million gourdes, while senators will have to pay 800,000 gourdes and deputies 300,000 gourdes. For local governments, the amounts are 100,000 gourdes for a municipal council slate, and 25,000 gourdes for CASEC and ASEC candidates.
Although reductions are provided for women (50%), people with disabilities (50%), and political groupings, these amounts remain very high in a country where a large portion of the population lives below the poverty line.
Enhanced eligibility conditions: criminal record and massive endorsements
The draft decree introduces strict requirements regarding morality and transparency. Thus, individuals facing legal proceedings, an arrest warrant, or a wanted notice, at the national or international level, will not be able to run as candidates. This provision also applies to individuals under criminal or administrative investigation.
This measure is welcomed by those who see it as a way to exclude controversial profiles from political life. However, other voices worry about possible abuses, urging “the authorities to avoid any political persecution aimed at excluding opponents,” according to Radiotélé Métronome.
Furthermore, independent candidates will have to provide particularly large lists of supporters: 150,000 for the presidential election, 25,000 for senatorial elections, 5,000 for deputy elections, and 1,000 for local government elections (Article 153-28).
Political parties: 100,000 members and academic level valued
Article 130 requires political parties, groupings, or coalitions approved by the CEP to submit a list of 100,000 members, adherents, or supporters enjoying their civil and political rights. This threshold marks a significant tightening compared to the previous requirement of 30,000 members. According to more than one, this measure could “erect a wall against the proliferation of fictitious political parties” and favor the emergence of “more representative, solid, and truly rooted” structures.
The draft also values the academic level of candidates. Article 162 provides that a political party presenting 90% of candidates holding at least a bachelor’s degree will benefit from a 30% reduction in registration fees. This incentive could help raise the profile of elected officials, but it also risks excluding legitimate but less educated local leaders.
Campaign spending caps
In order to limit the influence of dirty money and guarantee some fairness, the text sets spending caps (Article 191.1):
2 billion gourdes for a presidential candidate;
200 million for a senator;
40 million for a deputy;
20 million for a municipal council slate;
4 million for a CASEC;
2 million for an ASEC.
Although regulated, these amounts remain very high in the Haitian context. They could favor candidates with substantial funding, to the detriment of those with more modest resources.
Lack of Consultation with Electoral Advisors
Finally, several media outlets in Port-au-Prince report that no member of the CEP was consulted on the changes made by the Prime Minister’s Office to the initial draft. This lack of dialogue raises concerns about the legitimacy and acceptance of the text by the electoral institution itself.
While the government justifies these measures by the need to clean up the electoral system, strengthen transparency, and avoid the proliferation of puppet parties, detractors see it as a worrying takeover of the electoral process by the executive branch. With elections just months away, the debate promises to be heated over the balance between control, representativeness, and democracy.
