Violence in Haiti

Election preparations underway in Haiti – threatened by gang violence

Election preparations are underway in Haiti, reports the AP. The authorities have opened ten registration centers in the capital Port-au-Prince, in areas considered reasonably safe from the brutal gang violence that has hit the island nation.

The plan is to hold elections on December 13, with a second round in February. But a large part of Haiti's eligible voters risk being left out of the process, as the risk of violence is too high for them to get to the polls.

Haiti has not had an election in over ten years. The last time the country had a president was in 2021, when President Jovenel Moïse was killed.

“We need security before we can have elections”

Registration has opened for Haiti’s December elections, but many Haitians say they don’t know if they will be able to get to the polls because of widespread gang violence. This is reported by the AP.

38-year-old Victor Valensky says he wants to participate in the elections, but that he is afraid that his wife will not be able to take care of their children if he is killed on election day.

Lawyer Francky Cavetan says he does not plan to go and vote – it is too dangerous.

– The elections will not take place, because the government and the electoral authority are lying to the people. They make people believe that the elections will lead to security, but we need security before we can have elections, he says.