2025-12-31

Media Alleges CPT Engaging in Silent Maneuvers to Extend Power Vant Bef Info published an editorial on December 31 titled Beyond February 7 2026 the CPT's Silent Maneuvers to Cling to Power arguing the transitional council is quietly preparing to extend its mandate beyond the constitutional deadline. The editorial suggests the PM's December 30 endorsement of the CEP's calendar is part of a strategy to normalize the 365-day constitutional gap without formally announcing a mandate extension. Rezo Nodwes published a parallel editorial titled February 7 the Transitional Presidential Council or the Haitian Art of Staying After Swearing to Leave characterizing the CPT's behavior as emblematic of Haiti's political culture of broken promises. Both editorials frame the calendar endorsement as evidence of systematic preparation for unconstitutional extension. Vant Bef Info's analysis aligns with previous allegations from the RNDDH on December 26 that CPT members proposed 500000 to 600000 dollar departure December 31, 2025 bonuses and Samuel Madistin's December 28 claim that a High Court decree would shield CPT leaders from prosecution. The editorial narrative suggests these elements constitute a coordinated strategy to secure financial incentives legal immunity and international acquiescence for continued governance beyond February 7. The Rezo Nodwes headline directly challenges the CPT's legitimacy by invoking the April 25 2024 oath ceremony. CPT members swore to respect the transitional timeline and expire on February 7 2026 creating a public commitment that the current calendar endorsement appears to violate. By characterizing this as the Haitian art of staying after swearing to leave, the editorial positions the CPT's behavior within a historical pattern of political elites extending their mandates through procedural manipulation rather than democratic renewal. Le National published a year-end retrospective documenting that four different CPT presidents in 2025 made public promises to restore security and organize elections. Leslie Voltaire in January, Fritz Alphonse Jean in May, Laurent Saint-Cyr in August, and Edgar Leblanc Fils by year-end rotation all pledged progress that did not materialize. The retrospective validates the media's skepticism about government timeline commitments and undermines the PM's characterization of the revised calendar as realistic and credible when previous calendars proved aspirational rather than operational.