On Friday, July 25, 2025, at the Ritz Kinam Hotel in Pétion-ville, the Rector of the State University of Haiti (UEH), Dieuseul Prédélus, and the President of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), Patrick Saint-Hilaire, signed two documents officially sealing the Agreement for the implementation of the "Chair of Law and Administration of Electoral Operations in Haiti" as well as the document formalizing its creation.

Florence Mathieu, the university sector representative at the CEP, explained, "This chair aims, among other things, to contribute to the training of Executives in electoral professions to ensure the effective organization and management of elections in Haiti; to provide certified and diploma-granting training to electoral professionals; to conduct scientific research on elections and their issues, promoting an interdisciplinary approach linked to various disciplines in the humanities and social sciences; and to strengthen the capacities of the electoral administration, Departmental Electoral Offices (BED), Municipal Electoral Offices (BEC), and other relevant institutions."

According to the document establishing the chair, certification and diploma-granting training is planned to be provided at several levels. To this end, there will be short-term training programs (seminars with certificates of attendance), intermediate training programs (one or more months), and university programs, including a university diploma in electoral professions for graduates, a master's degree in electoral law and litigation, a professional master's degree in administration and management of electoral processes, a research master's degree in electoral sciences, etc...

In his opening remarks, the Rector emphasized that the establishment of this chair stems from the observation of a fragile Haitian electoral system that generates recurring political crises. For him, democratic consolidation depends on a professional electoral administration, staffed by trained officials capable of applying clear, transparent, and impartial procedures. "Without adequate expertise, the electoral administration becomes vulnerable to partisan manipulation. It is therefore imperative to train professionals capable of strengthening the legitimacy of the electoral process."

For his part, Patrick Saint-Hilaire expressed the hope that the training on electoral issues would go beyond a simple chair: "The CEP welcomes the commitment of the Rectorate, which, through the Faculty of Law and Economics, will enable partner institutions, researchers, and students to greatly benefit from this initiative. The electoral institution expresses the hope that the UEH Rectorate will strive to implement this agreement as of the next academic year. He therefore suggested that this training be added to the curriculum of all law faculties and schools, particularly in provincial cities operating under the UEH."

For the CEP president, Haiti's democratic future is not built solely at the ballot box, but also in ideas: "With this electoral chair, there is no doubt that the CEP is embarking on a bold gamble: putting knowledge at the service of the transition, democracy, and the rule of law."

For Eugène Pierre-Louis, President of the Chair's Scientific Council, this initiative responds to the urgent need to "normalize" Haitian democracy and break out of a vicious cycle of contested elections, endless transitions, and post-election crises.

HL/ HaitiLibre