As Haiti gears up for its upcoming general elections, a high-level diplomatic delegation led by Foreign Minister Raina Forbin paid a working visit to the headquarters of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) in Pétion-ville earlier this week. Forbin was joined by two senior ministry officials: Chief of Staff Winnie Hugot Gabriel and Director General Christian Toussaint, for closed-door working discussions focused on advancing one of the election cycle’s most anticipated institutional initiatives.
The core focus of the gathering was to advance ongoing joint planning between the Foreign Ministry and the CEP for a landmark pilot project that would allow members of the Haitian diaspora to cast ballots in the upcoming elections. For the world’s fifth-largest diaspora population relative to its home country’s population, this initiative marks a historic step toward expanding inclusive political participation for Haitians living abroad.
Beyond the broad framework of the pilot project, the two sides also worked through critical practical and procedural details. These included coordinating next steps with host governments in countries where the pilot will launch, tracking progress from earlier exploratory missions to those regions, and establishing clear operational guidelines that ensure all overseas voting activities align with both Haiti’s domestic legal and institutional framework and the regulations of host nations.
Following the meeting, both institutions reaffirmed their commitment to sustained collaboration and open dialogue throughout the preparation process. The end goal of their joint work is to build a structured, reliable electoral system that enables organized, smooth participation for diaspora voters across all pilot locations.
In an official statement released after the meeting, the CEP reiterated its foundational pledges for the entire upcoming electoral process: conducting all activities in an inclusive, impartial, transparent, and accountable manner. The council also stressed it will remain strictly aligned with core principles of electoral independence and institutional integrity, while upholding the constitutional right of every Haitian citizen, regardless of residency, to take part in the country’s democratic governance.