Provisional Electoral Council Explained

Agency Name:	Conseil Électoral Provisoire
Nativename:	Konsèy Elektoral Pwovizwa
Jurisdiction:	Constitution of Haiti
Headquarters:	Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Employees:	At least 9
Website:	www.cephaiti.ht

The Provisional Electoral Council (French: Conseil Électoral Provisoire, in French pronounced as /kɔ̃sɛj əlɛktɔʁal pʁɔvizwaʁ/, CEP; Haitian Creole: Konsèy Elektoral Pwovizwa) was the electoral commission of Haiti. The body had the sole agency responsible for presidential elections and parliamentary elections. CEP used to be Haiti's main and only legal election agency.^[1]

It was dissolved in September 2021 by acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry.^[2]

Mandate

As the sole legal electoral body in Haiti, CEP's responsibilities included the following:^[3]

• Ensuring confidence building among key actors involved in the electoral process;
• Establish the balance between the various political players in the race, hence the role of arbiter.
• Organize and supervise elections.
• Enforce the election legislation throughout the national territory.
• Ensure elections are held freely, credibly and transparently.
• Intervening in the mobilization and coordination of activities related to electoral information.
• Provide input in developing the legal framework for the electoral process.

Criticism

More than 30 presidential candidates reproached CEP for its obscure scrutiny policies and censured CEP for its lack of transparency.^[4] According to Haitian Sentinel, CEP rejected transparency request by some presidential candidates including Jude Célestin, runoff candidate for the 2015 election.^[5]

See also

• Elections in Haiti
• 2006 Haitian general election
• 2010–11 Haitian general election
• 2015–16 Haitian parliamentary election
• 2015 Haitian presidential election
• List of political parties in Haiti
• Politics of Haiti

Notes and References

1. Web site: Mission . fr . CEP Haiti . 3 December 2015.
2. News: Haiti polls postponed after electoral body is dissolved . 27 October 2021 . BBC News . 28 September 2021 . en-GB.
3. Web site: Constitution . fr . Constitution . CEP Haiti . 3 December 2015.
4. News: Calls for transparency joined by 30 more presidential candidates . Haitian Sentinel . 1 December 2015 . 3 December 2015.
5. News: Maxime . Samuel . Electoral Council rejects transparency request . Haitian Sentinel . Miami . 17 November 2015 . 3 December 2015.