Sandra Paulemon, the Minister of Planning and External Cooperation, participated this week in the Steering Committee for the Electoral Process Support Project. The committee included Jacques Desrosiers, President of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), electoral advisors, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), Xavier Michon, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Haiti, as well as representatives from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS-Haiti), the Organization of American States (OAS), and other technical and financial partners.

In her remarks, Minister Paulemon reiterated that organizing the elections is the Government's priority. She emphasized that all public institutions are now mobilized around a common roadmap to ensure complete coherence in the implementation of the electoral calendar.

The Minister also maintained that the success of the elections cannot depend solely on technical and financial resources. She recalled that last February, key stakeholders in the nation signed the National Pact for Stability and the Organization of Elections, which unites state institutions, political parties, civil society, the private sector, religious organizations, the media, and all citizens around a shared responsibility: to provide the Haitian people with credible, peaceful, and inclusive elections.

Paulemon noted that an entire generation of young Haitians has grown up without having experienced national elections or the democratic debates that normally accompany the life of a country. While the electoral calendar is an important step, the Minister felt that the country had not yet truly entered electoral mode. To this end, she advocated for the rapid deployment of a broad national awareness and information campaign so that the electoral process becomes fully visible throughout the country.

"We want to hear special election programs on radio and television, see information panels and posters in the streets, awareness campaigns in neighborhoods, young people discussing democratic issues, families exchanging information about their right to vote, citizen organizations mobilizing, and public institutions conveying a unified message of hope. We want every Haitian to feel that the elections are truly approaching and that democracy is gradually regaining its place in national life," the Minister stated.

In this regard, she encouraged the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) to resolutely move the country into a genuine electoral mode. "It’s not just about respecting a schedule, but about creating a national dynamic capable of restoring confidence, fostering citizen participation, and reviving democratic hope. The elections must be visible, audible, and present in the daily lives of citizens, so that everyone feels fully involved in this historic event."

The Minister outlined the commitments already made by the government to hold elections, a word that, for nearly ten years, has gradually disappeared from the everyday vocabulary of the Haitian people. She indicated that recently, all public institutions met to ensure consistency regarding the electoral calendar. She reaffirmed the government's financial commitment, noting that US$120 million has been allocated for organizing the elections. She assured that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure these resources are mobilized immediately, without being subject to the usual administrative delays. "Our commitment is clear: the electoral calendar will not be slowed down by State budgetary procedures."

Sandra Paulemon also emphasized that "[...] the Government has decided to give priority to imports of electoral materials at ports and customs, to fully mobilize the National Identification Office (ONI) in order to expedite the issuance of identification cards, to ensure ongoing coordination between the security authorities and the Electoral Council, and to facilitate, with local authorities, the deployment of polling stations and materials throughout the country."

In her capacity as Minister of Planning and External Cooperation, Sandra Paulemon indicated that her Ministry will continue its coordinating role to ensure the monitoring of government commitments and to remove any administrative, institutional, or financial obstacles that could slow down the implementation of the electoral calendar. Furthermore, she reiterated her call to the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to immediately release the necessary resources for the implementation of the national electoral information and awareness campaign, so that every Haitian can see, hear, and feel that the country is resolutely committed to the path of elections.

"We want awareness messages to begin being broadcast on all radio stations, television channels, and digital platforms in the coming days. We want to see billboards and banners in our cities, messages on public transportation, and campaigns on social media, so that every citizen knows that Haiti is committed to the path of elections,"” stated the Minister, who emphasized that elections go far beyond simply organizing a vote. "They represent the foundation for a return to legitimate institutions, political stability, continuity of public action, and economic recovery," she stressed.

An election, the Minister reminds us "is not prepared solely in the offices of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP). It is also prepared, according to the Minister, in homes, schools, churches, markets, the media, and in the minds of every citizen. The Haitian people must feel, hear, and see that the elections are coming. The Government is ready. We now expect all stakeholders to accelerate the pace so that the country resolutely enters electoral mode. History will judge our collective ability to keep this appointment with democracy. Let us not waste another day."

The Government calls upon all state institutions, political forces, national and international partners, and all sectors of national life to mobilize without delay. No delay can jeopardize the Haitian people’s appointment with democracy. Restoring the legitimacy of institutions is a national imperative that requires everyone’s commitment.

HL/ HaitiLibre