Haitian presidential election will move to runoff

Subject

In a relatively successful first round of elections two clear frontrunners have emerged from a plethora of candidates

Significance

On November 5, Haiti's provisional electoral council (CEP) announced the results of the October 25 presidential elections. As expected, a runoff will now be held on December 27 between Jovenel Moise of the incumbent ruling party and Jude Celestin, who previously ran for the presidency in 2010. Despite some allegations of electoral fraud, the runoff looks set to go ahead, paving the way for intense campaigning and negotiations to win the support of the eliminated presidential candidates.

Impacts

• The election of a new president in December will unlock more international aid, which has been held back due to political concerns.
• The new president's honeymoon period will be brief as he will face immediate security, economic and governability challenges.
• A peaceful electoral period could allow the UN Mission in Haiti to begin drawing its operations to a close.