Haiti schedules December presidential election despite security concerns

Haiti's CEP ​electoral council on Monday scheduled the first presidential elections in a decade for December with a ​runoff in February, after plans to hold the vote in August with a December runoff were postponed over security concerns. Haiti has not held elections since 2016. Its last president, Jovenel Moise, ​was assassinated ‌in 2021, after delaying a vote. Successive governments have been ⁠tasked with holding an election but said insecurity amid a conflict with powerful armed gangs made it impossible. Read moreUN chief Guterres visits Haiti as gang violence surges The council on ‌Monday published a calendar setting a first round of Haiti's presidential and legislative ⁠elections for December 13 with a runoff vote on February 21. It also set the publication of final results for March 7. Citizens are also expected ​to vote on changes to the constitution and for local representatives, ‌the calendar showed. The council highlighted that the calendar depended on "the establishment of an acceptable security climate and the necessary funds to pursue electoral operations". Earlier this month, the council said it ‌had begun registering voters and training electoral security agents, and...