OAS chief urges Haiti to speed up election preparations amid gang violence

The head of the Organization of American States (OAS) has called for an acceleration of voter registration in Haiti, expressing concern over the slow pace just three months before the planned December elections. OAS Secretary General Albert Ramdin stated that voter registration "needs to be accelerated, needs to be intensified" during a news conference in Port-au-Prince at the end of a three-day visit.

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The registration of voters needs to be accelerated, needs to be intensified.

Ramdin highlighted that over a million people have been displaced by gang violence, and stressed the importance of ensuring their right to vote is not disenfranchised. He noted that discussions with Haitian authorities, electoral council, and security agencies revealed concerns about the current progress, especially with several gang-controlled municipalities lacking voter registration centers. As of Monday, nearly a month after registration opened, only about 260,000 people had registered.

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We need to make sure that their right is not disenfranchised as well.

The OAS chief also urged member states and international partners to fulfill their pledges to support an international gang suppression force. Haiti has not held elections since 2016, and the country remains in a state of instability, exacerbated by powerful gangs. The security crisis worsened in early 2024, leading to the resignation of the unelected prime minister. The upcoming elections, initially scheduled for August, were postponed due to security concerns.

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we did express our concern with regard to where we are today, three months before the elections.