2025-12-11

CONFIDENCE High Confidence. EFE News Agency explicitly reported on December 2 that the government approved an electoral decree setting the first round for August 30, 2026. This contradicts the CEP's October 24-25 announcement published on its official website stating February 1, 2026 as the first round date. Both timelines remain in public circulation with no official clarification issued. What's Happening Two contradictory electoral calendars are currently operative in Haiti. Timeline A, announced by the CEP in late October and widely reported in Haitian media, sets the first round for February 1, 2026, with a second round on April 12 and inauguration on May 14. Timeline B, approved by the government in early December and confirmed by international wire services, sets the first round for August 30, 2026, with a second round on December 6 and inauguration in January 2027. Candidate registration closes in four days on December 15, but candidates do not know which election they are registering for. The CEP has not updated its website or issued clarifying guidance. Prime Minister Fils-Aimé returned from New York on December 10 but has not addressed the discrepancy. Thursday, December 11, 2025, 7:00 PM Haiti Time Why This Matters This communication failure creates operational paralysis across the entire electoral system. Candidates registering by December 15 cannot develop coherent campaign strategies without knowing whether they have 50 days or 260 days until Election Day. Political parties cannot finalize coalitions or allocate resources. International observers cannot plan deployment timelines. The confusion undermines already fragile confidence in the electoral process and provides ammunition to actors who wish to delegitimize any eventual results. More critically, the calendar discrepancy masks the deeper constitutional crisis: the CPT mandate expires February 7, 2026, meaning Haiti will have no constitutional government for six months if the August timeline is correct.