Government & politics — Haiti

• History: Many previous; latest adopted 10 March 1987, with substantial revisions in June 2012; note – the constitution is commonly referred to as the “amended 1987 constitution”
• Amendments: Proposed by the executive branch or by either the Senate or the Chamber of Deputies; consideration of proposed amendments requires support by at least two-thirds majority of both houses; passage requires at least two-thirds majority of the membership present and at least two-thirds majority of the votes cast; approved amendments enter into force after installation of the next president of the republic; constitutional articles on the democratic and republican form of government cannot be amended; amended many times, last in 2012

• President (vacant) head of government: Prime Minister Alix Didier FILS-AIMÉ (
• since 10 November 2024) cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president; parliament must ratify the Cabinet and p
• rime minister's governing policy election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible
• for a single non-consecutive term) most recent election date: 20
• November 2016 election results: 2016: Jovenel MOÏSE elected president in first round; percent of vote - Jovenel MOÏSE (PHTK) 55.6%, Jude CELESTIN (LAPEH) 19.6%, Jean-Charles MOÏSE (PPD) 11%, Maryse NARCISSE (FL) 9%; other 4.8% 2011: Michel MARTELLY elected president in second round; percent of vote in second round - Michel MARTELLY (Peasant's Response) 68%, Mirlande MANIGAT (RDNP) 32%
• expected date of next election: elections wer
• e delayed in 2022 and 2023 and have not been rescheduled note: former Prime Minister Ariel HENRY, who had assumed executive responsibilities following the assassination of President MOÏSE on 7 July 2021, resigned on 24 April 2024; a nine-member Presidential Transitional Council, equipped with presidential powers, was sworn in on 25 April 2024 and will remain in place until 7 February 2026

Description

Bicameral legislature or le Corps legislatif ou le Parlement consists of: Senate or le Sénat de la République (30 seats; 0 filled as of January 2023); members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 6-year terms (2-term limit) with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years) Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des députés (119 seats; 0 filled as of January 2023; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 4-year terms; no term limits);

Note

when the 2 chambers meet collectively it is known as the National Assembly or L'Assemblée nationale and is convened for specific purposes spelled out in the constitution

Elections

• Senate - last held on 20 November 2016 with runoff on 29 January 2017 (next originally scheduled for 27 October 2019 but postponed until political and civil society actors agree to a consensual process) Chamber of Deputies - last held on 9 August 2015 with runoff on 25 October 2015 and 20 November 2016 (next originally scheduled for 27 October 2019 but postponed until political and civil society actors agree to a consensual process)

Election Results

• - Senate - percent of vote by party - NA
• seats by party - NA;

Composition

• men 10, women 0, percent of women 0% Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA
• seats by party - NA;

Composition

NA

Note

the Senate and Chamber of Deputies as of January 2023 was not functional

• Highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour de cassation (currently 11 of 12 judges as prescribed by the constitution, 8 of whom were appointed in March 2023); note - Haiti is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice; Constitutional Court, called for in the 1987 constitution but not yet established; High Court of Justice, for trying high government officials -
• currently not functional Judge selection and term of office: Judges appointed by the president from candidate lists submitted by the Senate of the National Assembly; note - Article 174 of Haiti's constitution states that judges of the Supreme Court are appointed for 10 years, whereas Article 177 states that judges o
• f the Supreme Court are appointed for life Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; magistrate's courts; land, labor,
• and children's courts Note: The Superior Council of the Judiciary or Conseil Superieur du Pouvoir Judiciaire is a 9-member body charged with the administration and oversight of the judicial branch of government

• Alternative League for Haitian Progress and Emancipation (Ligue Alternative pour le Progres et l’Emancipation Haitienne) or LAPEH [Jude CELESTIN]
• Christian Movement for a New Haiti or MCNH or Mochrenha [Luc MESADIEU]
• Christian National Movement for the Reconstruction of Haiti or UNCRH [Jean Chavannes JEUNE]
• Combat of Peasant Workers to Liberate Haiti (Konbit Travaye Peyizan Pou Libere Ayiti) or Kontra Pep La [Jean William JEANTY]
• Convention for Democratic Unity or KID [Evans PAUL]
• Cooperative Action to Rebuild Haiti or KONBA [Jean William JEANTY]
• December 16 Platform or Platfom 16 Desanm [Dr. Gerard BLOT]
• Democratic Alliance Party or ALYANS [Evans PAUL] (coalition includes KID and PPRH)
• Democratic Centers' National Council or CONACED [Osner FEVRY]
• Democratic and Popular Sector (Secteur Democratique et Populaire) or SDP [Nenel CASSY, Andre MICHEL, and Marjorie MICHEL]
• Democratic Unity Convention (Konvansyon Inite Demokratik) or KID [Enold JOSEPH]
• Dessalinian Patriotic and Popular Movement or MOPOD [Jean Andre VICTOR]
• Effort and Solidarity to Create an Alternative for the People or ESKAMP [Joseph JASME]
• Fanmi Lavalas or FL [Maryse NARCISSE and former President Jean Bertrand ARISTIDE]
• Forward (En Avant) [Jerry TARDIEU]
• Fusion of Haitian Social Democrats (Fusion Des Sociaux-Démocrates Haïtiens) or FHSD [Edmonde Supplice BEAUZILE]
• G18 Policy Platform (Plateforme Politique G18) [Joseph WUILSON]
• Haiti in Action (Ayiti An Aksyon Haiti's Action) or AAA [Youri LATORTUE]
• Haitian Tet Kale Party (Parti Haitien Tet Kale) or PHTK [Line Sainphaar BALTHAZAR]
• Independent Movement for National Reconciliation or MIRN [Luc FLEURINORD]
• Lavni Organization or LAVNI [Yves CRISTALIN]
• Lod Demokratik [Jean Renel SENATUS]
• Love Haiti (Renmen Ayiti) or RA [Jean Henry CEANT]
• MTV Ayiti [Reginald BOULOS]
• National Consortium of Haitian Political Parties (Consortium National des Partis Politiques Haitiens) or CNPPH [Jeantel JOSEPH]
• National Shield Network (Reseau Bouclier National) [Victor PROPHANE and Garry BODEAU]
• Organization of the People's Struggle (Oganizasyon Pep Kap Lite) or OPL [Edgard LEBLANC]
• Patriotic Unity (Inite Patriyotik) or Inite [Sorel YACINTHE and Levaillant Louis JEUNE]
• Platform Pitit Desalin (Politik Pitit Dessalines) or PPD [Jean-Charles MOISE]
• Political Party for Us All or Bridge (Pont) or Pou Nou Tout [Jean Marie CHERESTAL]
• Popular Patriotic Dessalinien Movement (Mouvement Patriotique Populaire Dessalinien) or MOPOD [Jean Andre VICTOR]
• Rally of Progressive National Democrats (Rassemblement des Democrates Nationaux Progressistes) or RDNP [Eric JEAN-BAPTISTE]
• Respe (Respect) [Charles Henry BAKER]
• Women and Families Political Parties (Defile Pati Politik Fanm Ak Fanmi) [Marie Rebecca GUILLAUME]

• No Citizenship by descent only: At least one parent must
• Yes Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Chief of Mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Patricia AGUILERA (since 28 September 2023) Embassy: Tabarre 41, Route de Tabarre, Port-au-Prince Mailing address: 3400 Port-au-Prince Place, Washington, DC 20521-3400

Telephone

[011] (509) 2229-8000

FAX

[011] (509) 2229-8027

Email address and website

• acspap@state.gov
• https://ht.usembassy.gov/

Chief of Mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Louis Harold JOSEPH (since 15 May 2023)

Chancery

2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Telephone

[1] (202) 332-4090

FAX

[1] (202) 745-7215

Email address and website

• amb.washington@diplomatie.ht
• https://www.haiti.org/

Consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Orlando (FL), New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico)