PANAMA CITY, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council has extended the deadline for candidate registration to Oct. 31 and postponed the start of campaigning for presidential and legislative elections scheduled for December, local media reported Tuesday.
Registration had been due to close Oct. 9. In a statement dated Monday, the council said the extension applies to both online registration and the submission of required documents.
The first-round campaign, originally scheduled to begin Oct. 5, has also been postponed, with new dates to be announced later.
The council said the changes followed consultations with political groups and amendments to the electoral decree approved by the Cabinet on Monday, giving candidates more time to complete registration requirements.
Under the current electoral calendar, the first round of voting is scheduled for Dec. 13, with a second round set for Feb. 21, 2027. The council's latest statement did not announce any change to the voting dates.
Haiti last held presidential elections in 2016, when Jovenel Moise was elected. He was assassinated at his home in July 2021.
The country has since faced a prolonged political and security crisis, worsened by the expansion of armed gangs. UN officials estimate that gangs control about 90 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince. ■