Former Haitian President Martelly pre-registers as presidential candidate — Anadolu Agency

Former Haitian President Joseph Michel Martelly on Friday submitted an online application to participate in the upcoming presidential election. As Anadolu Agency reports, citing The Haitian Times, his preliminary registration brought the number of contenders for head of state to 16.

Martelly is running on behalf of the Debloke political coalition, which includes former members of the Haitian Tèt Kale Party (PHTK), which he previously led. The registration is not yet final: the candidate must submit documents, and Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council must approve them.

Changes to electoral rules

On October 6, amendments were made to the electoral decree that abolished the requirement to submit a certificate from the Bank of the Republic of Haiti. This made registration easier for people affected by sanctions, although U.S. restrictions may remain an obstacle for candidates subject to them.

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Martelly is not on the UN sanctions list. At the same time, UN experts accused him of facilitating the financing of armed groups and benefiting from illegal activities; he denied these claims. Canada imposed sanctions on him in November 2022, the United States in August 2024, and the European Union in December 2025. The stated grounds included allegations of gang financing and drug trafficking.

Election calendar postponed

Martelly returned to Haiti on July 15 after several years abroad. His possible return to politics sparked criticism among Haitians in the country and abroad. As of the time of publication, none of the leading political leaders had publicly supported or condemned his candidacy.

The electoral process is taking place amid gang violence and technical difficulties. The start of the election campaign, planned for Thursday, was postponed, while the acceptance of applications and documents was extended until October 31. The Provisional Electoral Council promised to publish an updated calendar. In addition to 16 presidential candidates, the council recorded 302 candidates for the Senate and 1,050 for the Chamber of Deputies.