The normalization of Haiti's elections is unclear... Intensifying gang control and lack of UN reinforcements

Control over 70% of the capital... It is difficult for candidates to pass through checkpoints.

Although 5,500 UN reinforcements are scheduled to be deployed, only 20% are actually deployed.

“Now there are limits… we can’t just wait until things get back to normal.”

(Mexico City = Yonhap News) Correspondent Song Gwang-ho = "We can't go to the field and meet voters. We're scared to drive, and we're even scared to go out of the house for fear of being kidnapped."

This is what Altoine Rodon Bienneme, a candidate for the Haitian Senate, said in an interview with the New York Times.

The NYT recently reported that in Haiti, a Caribbean island nation with presidential and general elections and a constitutional amendment referendum scheduled for December 13, it is unclear whether the election will be held normally due to chronic security paralysis.

According to reports, the last election was held in Haiti in November 2016. Jovenel Moise, a banana exporter at the time, was elected amid controversy over election fraud.

It was difficult to come to power, but the end was a tragedy. President Moïse was assassinated in July 2021, and chronic gang violence rapidly spread thereafter, exploding into a kind of civil war in early 2024. Gangs that had been fighting each other while acting as servants of a corrupt politician came together.

Violent armed gangs united in a broad alliance system called 'Viv Ansanm' (meaning 'coexistence') indiscriminately attacked police stations, prisons, hospitals, and private homes. While the prime minister resigned and the airport was closed for months, the gang expanded its reach to more than 70% of the capital Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite Valley, a key agricultural region.

Citizens were not safe either. More than 1.5 million residents have fled the violence, and about 250,000 of them are living miserable lives in temporary residences such as public schools. According to UN statistics, more than 3,000 people lost their lives due to gang violence and fighting in the first half of this year alone.

Amidst this chaos of gangs, the election was postponed several times. However, amid pressure from the United States, which wants Haiti to normalize as quickly as possible, and an internal atmosphere that says it should not be delayed further, the Haitian government announced that it would hold elections on December 13th. However, experts' views are generally negative on this.

For one thing, only candidates who can afford to rent helicopters can travel to the outskirts of the capital beyond gang checkpoints on major thoroughfares. Additionally, millions of people need to register to vote, and it is currently close to impossible for the government to complete this process on time.

Moreover, the results of the UN-supported multinational force, which holds the key to restoring security, are still minimal. Of the target number of 5,500, only 20% are deployed on site. There are insufficient troops to control a large area.

Nevertheless, there are many voices calling for the election to be held as scheduled. Their logic is, ‘You can’t fill up on the first drink.’

Former Congressman Jerry Tardieu, who is considering running for president, said, "The tedious transition period is causing great suffering to the people," and pointed out, "It will take a long time for Haiti to have ideal conditions to hold peaceful elections like before. If we wait for those conditions, we will never be able to hold elections."

Some citizens also agree with this idea. Alexandre Kari (34), who registered to vote on the outskirts of the capital, said, "Even in gang-controlled areas, there are not only criminals but honest residents," and argued, "The government should provide the minimum level of security and give people the opportunity to vote."

At the same time, he urged normalization of the political situation through elections, saying, "This country has reached its limit. It cannot continue to fall (like this)."