Haiti Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime said on Monday that the security situation is not stable enough to hold presidential elections scheduled for August, as gang violence grips the capital and other areas. [1]
Fils-Aime said he wants elections completed by the end of the year and said an elected president should be in office by Feb. 7. He said, "It is clear that the security conditions are not met at the level for us to have elections in August," and added, "I would like for elections to happen by the end of the year." [1]
Clashes between rival gangs have escalated in Port-au-Prince, forcing hospital evacuations and sending residents fleeing their homes. Doctors Without Borders evacuated its hospital in Cite Soleil after intense clashes there on Sunday, saying it had treated more than 40 gunshot victims within 12 hours while sheltering 800 people from the violence. [1]
Haiti has not held elections since 2016. Successive governments have delayed polls as gangs expanded their control, while the country has seen thousands killed and more than 1 million displaced by the violence. The electoral council had scheduled a first-round vote for Aug. 30 and a runoff in December, with more than 280 political parties approved to compete. [1, 2, 3]
The timing also matters for foreign support. UN and U.S. backing for Haiti’s security forces is tied to the government holding elections. Fils-Aime took over from a transitional presidential council on Feb. 7. [1, 2, 3]
