Martelly registers as presidential candidate in Haiti’s upcoming election

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Former President Joseph Michel Martelly registered online on Friday as a presidential candidate with Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), bringing the number of candidates registered for the upcoming elections to 16.

The online registration is an initial step. Candidates must still submit required documents to the CEP’s departmental electoral office, which will determine whether their candidacies are validated.

Martelly registered under Debloke, a political coalition that includes former members of the Pati Haitien Tèt Kale, known as PHTK, which he once led.

Martelly’s registration follows weeks of speculation on social media about his plans to run. His possible return to power has drawn criticism from locals and Haitians abroad, including concerns about his record in office and whether he would face strong competition.

The move comes after Haiti’s government and the CEP amended the June 2 electoral decree on Oct. 6. The change removed a key requirement that candidates submit a certificate from the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH), a document that people under sanctions have struggled to obtain because of the effects of sanctions on the country’s banking system and institutions’ ties to sanctioned individuals.

The amended electoral decree eliminated that stipulation, leaving American sanctions as the sole remaining barrier for designated individuals attempting to enter the race.

The former president does not appear on the United Nations sanctions list, despite allegations previously raised against him by UN experts. The UN Panel of Experts has accused former president Martelly of allegedly helping finance armed groups and benefiting from illicit activities, allegations he has denied.

Martelly’s possible return to power has drawn criticism from some Haitians in the country and abroad, including concerns about his record in office and whether he would face strong competition.

“As I always say, the most important thing was not to let him register, but everyone stayed silent,” said Ronmdy François, a young auto mechanic, to The Haitian Times. 

“However, from what I’m hearing, if it’s true that he has registered, then he is already president because I don’t see which candidate could stop him.”

Some have also opposed efforts that could pave the way for his return to Haiti’s highest office.

As of publication, no major political leaders have issued public statements supporting or condemning Martelly’s bid following the appearance of his name on the CEP platform, based on reports gathered by The Haitian Times.

Martelly returned to Haiti on July 15, 2026, after spending years abroad. He is among several prominent Haitian political figures facing international sanctions. Canada sanctioned him in November 2022, the United States in Aug. 2024 and the European Union in December 2025 over allegations including gang financing, drug trafficking and other illicit activities.

The former president’s candidacy comes as the CEP seeks to move forward with an electoral process facing technical challenges and insecurity fueled by gang violence. The election campaign, initially scheduled to begin on Oct. 15, has been postponed. The CEP has extended candidate registration through Oct.31 and promised to issue a new electoral calendar.

As of Oct. 16, the CEP reported that 16 presidential candidates, 302 Senate candidates and 1,050 candidates for the Chamber of Deputies had registered. The candidate registration and document-submission process began on Aug. 20 and has been extended to Oct. 31.