Haiti police chief says a plan is underway for elections this year despite gang violence

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The head of Haiti’s National Police told The Associated Press on Friday that authorities are still working on a plan to safely hold general elections this year as promised by the government, despite persistent gang violence.

André Jonas Vladimir Paraison, who became the department’s interim head in August, said he could not provide more details but would release more information soon.

“We have a plan for the election, but it’s still in the kitchen and has not finished cooking yet,” he said.

When asked if he felt Haiti would be ready to hold elections this year, Paraison side-stepped the question.

Haiti’s government has said it plans to hold general elections in late August and a runoff in early December. On Friday, the Provisional Electoral Council announced that it plans to open registration for political parties and their candidates starting March 2 until March 12.

It’s been more than a decade since Haiti last held a general election, and gang violence has only worsened since President Jovenel Moïse was killed in July 2021 at his private residence.

Paraison said Haiti’s situation has “exploded,” but that police officers are working to reestablish security so Haitians can resume their lives.

Gang violence has displaced a record 1.4 million people in a country of nearly 12 million inhabitants, with armed men controlling an estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince, the capital, and seizing swaths of territory in the country’s central region.

The violence also has forced thousands of businesses and hundreds of schools to close.

More than 5,900 people were reported killed last year and more than 2,700 injured, according to U.N. statistics.

Paraison said he hopes to boost the number of officers to better protect Haitians. He recently oversaw the gradation of nearly 900 cadets but said more are needed.

U.N. officials have said that Haiti in recent years had less than two officers per 1,000 inhabitants, well below the international standard.

Despite a depleted force, Paraison has overseen recent operations in the heart of gang-controlled territories, retaking areas including Carrefour-Aéroport, a key intersection.

Police also are issuing more statements about the number of suspected gang members killed during those operations.

Paraison noted that gangs are heavily armed and have a surplus of guns and ammunition. “Don’t forget, Haiti doesn’t make weapons. The weapons here come from somewhere else,” he said.

Experts have previously estimated that there could be as many as half a million small arms in Haiti, while a 2023 U.N. report found that increasingly sophisticated weapons including .50 caliber sniper rifles and even belt-fed machine guns are smuggled into Haiti mainly from the U.S., especially Florida.

Haiti’s National Police are working alongside a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police that has remained underfunded and understaffed as it continues to fight gangs. A so-called gang suppression force is expected to replace the mission in upcoming months.

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Associated Press reporter Dánica Coto in San José, Costa Rica contributed.