June 9, 2026
The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) has welcomed the promulgation of the new electoral decree and urged authorities to swiftly publish an electoral calendar. However, this position comes amid growing tensions between the Executive Branch and the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP in French), with several members of the electoral body challenging the manner in which the decree was adopted.
Before its promulgation, the draft submitted by the CEP underwent several modifications at the Prime Minister’s Office. These changes, viewed as substantial by some stakeholders in the electoral process, have reignited disagreements between the government and the Electoral Council, which were already engaged in a dispute over the management of the upcoming elections.
The situation further deteriorated after eight of the nine electoral advisers voted to bar Executive Director Uder Antoine from accessing CEP premises. Reportedly under consideration for appointment as the institution’s Director General, Antoine has become the center of a new controversy that highlights the growing mistrust between the Electoral Council, headed by Jacques Desrosiers, and the Executive Branch.
Meanwhile, the electoral budget remains unavailable. More than three weeks after being returned for revisions at the government’s request, the document has yet to be made public, even as BINUH calls for an acceleration of the electoral process. Under these circumstances, the UN office’s support for the promulgated decree may be perceived by some as an endorsement of an approach that has not yet achieved consensus among the key actors responsible for organizing the elections.
