Haiti’s interim police chief said the government’s election timetable remains in place even as gangs continue to control large swaths of the country and keep parts of Port-au-Prince in a state of insecurity. André Jonas Vladimir Paraison, who took over as interim head of Haiti’s National Police in August, told The Associated Press on Friday that authorities are still drafting a plan they intend to use to hold elections safely later this year.
Paraison said he could not provide more details about how the elections would be protected and described the planning effort in deliberately vague terms. “We have a plan for the election, but it’s still in the kitchen and has not finished cooking yet,” he said. When the AP asked whether he thought Haiti would be ready to hold elections this year, Paraison did not answer directly.
Haiti’s government has said it plans to hold general elections in late August and a runoff in early December, more than a decade after the country last held a general election. Gang violence has intensified since President Jovenel Moïse was killed in July 2021 at his home, and authorities have faced escalating challenges in policing street routes, protecting institutions, and preventing attacks that can disrupt voting and election logistics.
On Friday, the Provisional Electoral Council said it plans to open registration for political parties and their candidates starting March 2 through March 12. The council’s announcement set a near-term deadline for political groups to begin the process of putting forward candidates as Haiti prepares for the election cycle that officials say starts in August.
Paraison said Haiti’s security situation has “exploded,” adding that police officers are working to reestablish security so Haitians can resume their lives. He said he hopes to increase the number of officers available to protect people, noting that he recently oversaw the gradation of nearly 900 cadets while also saying more officers are needed.
U.N. officials have said Haiti has had fewer than two officers per 1,000 inhabitants in recent years, far below international standards. The AP reported that gang violence has displaced a record 1.4 million people in a country of nearly 12 million, with armed men controlling an estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince and seizing territories in the central region, while the violence has also forced thousands of businesses and hundreds of schools to close.
Paraison also described police operations inside areas controlled by armed groups, saying he has overseen recent efforts in the heart of gang territory and that police have retaken areas including Carrefour-Aéroport, a key intersection. He said police were issuing statements about the number of suspected gang members killed during those operations, as pressure continues on the authorities to demonstrate operational capacity ahead of the election period.
In addition, Paraison pointed to the scale and sophistication of the weapons used by gangs. He said, “Don’t forget, Haiti doesn’t make weapons. The weapons here come from somewhere else,” and referenced expert estimates that could be as many as half a million small arms in Haiti, with a 2023 U.N. report saying increasingly advanced weapons, including .50 caliber sniper rifles and belt-fed machine guns, have been smuggled into Haiti mainly from the U.S., especially Florida.
Paraison said Haiti’s National Police are working alongside a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police, which he said has remained underfunded and understaffed as it fights gangs. He said a so-called gang suppression force is expected to replace the mission in upcoming months as authorities look toward the election timetable.