2025-12-11

The February 7 date has profound constitutional significance in Haiti. It marks the traditional inauguration date for Haitian presidents, commemorating the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship on February 7, 1986. The date appears throughout the 1987 Constitution as a key institutional marker. The CPT was established in April 2024 with explicit understanding that it would govern only until February 7, 2026, when elected authorities would assume power. This timeline was negotiated by CARICOM and accepted by all political actors as a hard deadline. Missing this deadline does not simply delay transition but fundamentally breaks the constitutional compact that legitimizes the current government.