Overview:
As Haiti approaches another political transition, this op-ed argues that the country’s crisis cannot be resolved by charismatic leaders or foreign-backed quick fixes. Instead, sustainable progress requires rebuilding governance, strengthening institutions, and ensuring accountability before engaging in major global partnerships.
As Haiti segues into another round of electoral politics, questions of who is the least corrupt, who is most capable of restoring order and who is most likely to “save” the country dominate the conversation.
Yet, this obsession with individuals has never been beneficial to Haiti. What Haiti actually needs now is not another figurehead president or quick fix. What Haiti needs now is a government dedicated to rebuilding the very idea of governance itself.
After decades of political instability, foreign meddling and the erosion of institutions, Haiti is no longer a country with a government. It is a country struggling without the basic foundations of a functional state. The UN and the World Bank have repeatedly identified weak institutions, insecurity and the absence of public trust as the core obstacles to Haiti’s development. Any administration that treats the presidency as symbolic rather than structural merely perpetuates the cycle of crisis.
True leadership in this time will not be defined by charisma, but by a commitment to the hard work of governance. This means strengthening the rule of law, fighting corruption, restoring security without empowering unaccountable actors, and rebuilding trust in a government that has failed the people. Without this, no development strategy, however well-designed, will ever have a chance of success.
This is particularly relevant in light of Haiti’s position in an increasingly multipolar world. Debate surrounding the prospect of working with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is often framed in binary terms: either it is for Haiti’s infrastructure challenges, or it is a trap from which it cannot escape. However, the reality is far more nuanced. For many countries in the Global South, BRI engagement has brought both benefits and drawbacks.
China as a path for Haiti?
When it comes to Haiti, the right question is not whether to partner with China, but how and under what terms. Before any discussion about BRI or other global partnerships of this magnitude, sound governance structures must be in place. Without parliamentary supervision, foreign investment of any kind can simply perpetuate the same dynamics of extraction and elite enrichment that have long defined Haiti’s experience.
This is why governance reform must be the first order of business. Infrastructure projects based on poor governance do not empower citizens. Loans made without public accountability do not promote development; they sell the future. The next administration in Haiti must make sure that any major global partnership is open to democratic review and that it serves national needs, not political expediency.
Yet, Haiti cannot afford diplomatic isolation nor can it afford overreliance on any single global power. A credible foreign policy will require engagement with the U.S., Caricom, China and the rest of the international community without sacrificing strategic autonomy. To achieve this, Haiti needs a government that can engage the world from a position of strength and through a government that understands its power, sets its own agenda, and preserves the country’s sovereignty.
At home, that work begins with institutions designed for the public good. Elections, for example, are an opportunity to shift the national conversation away from personalities and toward systems. Voters, civil society and the Haitian Diaspora must demand more than vague promises of stability or development. The citizenry must hold these groups accountable for answers to such questions as: How will this government rebuild its institutions? How will it ensure its transparency? How will it engage with the world without losing its sovereignty?
Haiti’s future will not hinge on a single leader, a single foreign partner or a single investment. It will be secured by its governance. Foreign partnerships, including with China, can be part of the solution, but only as part of a larger solution.
Haiti does not need another symbol of hope. It needs a government that is committed to the unglamorous, but vital work of rebuilding its state.
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