The Caribbean Community is intensifying its diplomatic efforts in Haiti as the country struggles to overcome a prolonged political crisis and prepare for elections scheduled for December.
CARICOM’s Eminent Persons Group (EPG), comprising former Caribbean prime ministers, has been conducting consultations with Haitian political and institutional stakeholders during a visit to the country. The delegation includes former Bahamian Prime Minister Perry Christie, former Saint Lucian Prime Minister Kenny Anthony and former Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding.
The regional delegation is seeking a first-hand assessment of Haiti’s political and security conditions and the prospects for elections.
The Electoral Commission has announced December 13, 2026, as the date for elections, but serious questions remain over whether Haiti’s security and political environment will permit a credible vote.
Recent consultations have highlighted divisions among political actors over the country’s transitional arrangements and the path toward restoring constitutional government. Haitian political groups have also stressed that improved security is essential if candidates are to campaign freely and voters are to participate safely.
CARICOM’s intervention is significant because the organisation has repeatedly sought to use diplomacy and regional political experience to help Haiti find a sustainable solution to its crisis.
But the challenge confronting the EPG is enormous. Haiti has endured years of institutional instability, insecurity and political fragmentation. The regional organisation must now determine whether enough common ground exists among competing political forces to establish a credible transition and electoral process.
The December election timetable gives the Caribbean diplomats a narrowing window in which to help bridge those divisions.
For CARICOM, Haiti is also a test of the organisation’s ability to influence a crisis within its own region. A successful political settlement could strengthen CARICOM’s standing as a regional diplomatic actor. Failure, however, could deepen frustration over the international community’s inability to help Haiti restore stable democratic institutions.
The EPG’s current consultations therefore carry significance beyond Haiti itself.
The question is whether dialogue can produce a political compromise strong enough to survive the country’s security challenges and ultimately allow Haitians to exercise their right to choose a government through credible elections.
