By Rezo Nodwes, April 16, 2025
As the constitutional referendum announced for May 12, 2025 by Leslie Voltaire, former coordinator of the CPT, approaches quickly, uncertainty reigns.
According to information confirmed by Rezo Nòdwès , the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the main logistical support for electoral processes in Haiti through its BasketFund , has informed the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) that no budgetary allocation is currently available for the training of members of departmental electoral offices or "referendum offices." These structures, it should be remembered, are not recognized by the 1987 Constitution, which is still in force.
As a result, planned training activities in the provinces have been suspended, revealing the technical unpreparedness of the process. This partial withdrawal of the UNDP reinforces the already palpable uncertainties regarding the logistical feasibility of the referendum, particularly in regions outside Port-au-Prince and in the "lost territories."
Several sources close to the case claim that UNDP representatives have advised the CEP to suspend all electoral activity until the situation in the country presents minimal guarantees of stability .
In this context of opacity, neither the presidency nor the government of Alix Didier Fils-Aimé—whose resignation hundreds of protesters took to the streets Wednesday—have commented on the referendum process. The text of the new Constitution remains unobtainable: neither within the CEP, nor through official channels, nor from embassies. The Haitian people are thus being asked to vote on a document they are unfamiliar with. When contacted by Rezo Nòdwès , several members of the CEP declined to comment, maintaining the uncertainty.
The former president of the CPT, architect Leslie Voltaire – known for having offered the city of Les Cayes an "international airport" – had nevertheless affirmed in Paris that the referendum would indeed be held on May 12, 2025. But in view of the obvious lack of preparation, the disengagement of the UNDP and the silence of the authorities, only one certainty remains: Haiti is Haiti .
The newspaper's editorial staff attempted to contact UNDP officials, but all calls went unanswered.
Posted May 18, 2025