Overview:
Haitian political parties and civil society groups signed the “National Pact for Stability and the Organization of Elections,” backing Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé as head of a single-headed executive power. Supporters call it a step toward elections, while critics warn it lacks a clear end date and risks entrenching power. The signing coincided with a deadly kidnapping attempt in Delmas that left two suspects and one police officer dead.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Several Haitian political leaders, representing major parties and civil society groups, confirmed Monday that they have signed an agreement recognizing Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé as the sole executive head of the country’s transition.
The signing of the “National Pact for Stability and the Organization of Elections,” which occurred following closed-door negotiations on Feb. 21–22 at Hotel Ritz Kinam in Pétion-Ville, marks a new phase in the never-ending transition after the end of the Transitional Presidential Council’s mandate on Feb. 7. Although the government has yet to publish the final text, dozens of signatories have confirmed their support.
Among them are parties deeply involved in the crisis, such as former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s Fanmi Lavalas, the Parti Haïtien Tèt Kale (PHK) of former President Michel Martelly, Engaged for Development (EDE) led by former Prime Minister Claude Joseph, the December 21 Accord linked to former Prime Minister Ariel Henry and the platform Democratic Resistance (RED) of Renald Lubérice, a former advisor to the late President Jovenel Moïse.
“After discussions with Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, our group signed the Pact for Stability and the Organization of Elections on Sunday at the Prime Minister’s Office,” said lawyer and political leader André Michel of the December 21 Agreement. “This is an act of responsibility to bring the political transition to an end.”
Former Prime Minister Jean‑Henry Céant wrote on X: “We signed because we are Renmen Ayiti [Love Haiti], apostles of dialogue,” referencing his party’s name. “I confirm that, in keeping with its convictions, Renmen Ayiti has joined the various sectors that have expressed their commitment by signing the National Pact for Stability and the Organization of Elections.”
A transition without a clear deadline
According to draft provisions shared with participants, the pact empowers the Council of Ministers to govern from Feb. 7, 2026, until elections are held and newly elected officials are installed. It tasks the government with restoring security, organizing elections with the current Provisional Electoral Council and advancing constitutional reform, including a referendum to be held alongside the first round of voting.
The agreement does not set a firm end date for the transition.
It also outlines cooperation between national security forces and the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) under U.N. Security Council Resolution 2793 (2025), and calls for the reactivation of the National Commission for Disarmament, Dismantling and Reintegration.
Government officials who intend to run in the upcoming elections must resign within one month of signing, according to the pact.
Supporters describe the agreement as a pragmatic step toward restoring constitutional order after years of overlapping accords, rival power centers and stalled elections. Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on July 7, 2021, Haiti has cycled through competing transition frameworks, deepening mistrust among political actors and the public.
Critics warn of democratic backsliding as violence underscores urgency
Opposition groups argue the pact risks concentrating power in the prime minister’s office without sufficient checks.
The Pitit Dessalines party, led by former Sen. Moïse Jean-Charles, called the agreement a “blatant fraud that legalizes illegality” and criticized the absence of a defined term for the prime minister.
“Like Pétion [19th-century President Alexandre Pétion], a certain oligarchy is seeking to impose a shadow government,” said Jean-Charles in a statement on Sunday, Feb. 22.
“We warn against any attempt to legitimize this political farce, which is nothing more than an admission of democracy’s failure. This stillborn agreement cannot be endorsed by the international community without bringing shame upon it. Silence will no longer be an option, but complicity.”
Other critics say the open-ended timeline reflects a broader pattern in Haitian politics: power-sharing deals negotiated among elites while insecurity, corruption and impunity persist.
Meanwhile, clashes reportedly broke out during the signing ceremony, underscoring the divisions that continue to shape the country’s political landscape.
Hours after the signing, violence again highlighted the fragile security environment.
Early Monday, officers from the Haitian National Police (PNH) thwarted a kidnapping attempt between Delmas 31 and 33. Two suspected kidnappers were killed during a shootout, and two police officers later died from his injuries. Three residents were also wounded during the ordeal.
Authorities said the suspects wore uniforms resembling police attire and used a Nissan Patrol SUV later found riddled with bullets.
The incident followed another attempted kidnapping in Delmas 30 days earlier, also ending in fatalities.
Kidnappings, gang control of neighborhoods and attacks on police have intensified in recent months, even as authorities pledge to dismantle armed groups. More than 80% of Port-au-Prince remains under gang influence, and displacement continues to rise, according to humanitarian agencies.
The juxtaposition of political negotiations and deadly violence reflects Haiti’s broader crisis: a state struggling to reassert authority amid fragmented leadership, entrenched corruption allegations and armed groups that operate with near impunity.
Whether the new pact will break that cycle — or become another short-lived agreement in Haiti’s protracted transition — remains uncertain.
Like this:
Loading…
