Haiti: Presidential and legislative elections postponed in wake of Hurricane Matthew

Haiti’s elections officials postponed Sunday’s re-run presidential and legislative elections for the second time this year, saying they had yet to assess the extent of damage from Hurricane Matthew, which left at least 5 people dead and hundreds of thousands of people displaced from their homes.

The country’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) did not provide a new date for elections following the announcement.

“The passage of the hurricane has provoked a certain amount of damage,” said CEP President Leopold Berlanger. “The arrival of the hurricane has created delays – like the deployment of materials by the Haitian National Police.”

In January, Haiti postponed a scheduled second round of elections amid protests and opposition after front-runner Jude Celestin’s declaration that he would not campaign until government officials addressed fraud allegations from the contested first round on October 25 last year.

“It is a wise decision,” Celestin said. “Getting assistance to the population is more important than elections right now. It is difficult to go ask people to go vote, given what we are dealing with right now. But elections are important. I hope that the CEP announces a new date as soon as possible so that regardless of the conditions, there is a new president who takes office in Haiti on February 7.”

Hurricane Matthew knocked out communications throughout the southern coast of Haiti and forced the closure of the airport in Port-au-Prince.