Pétion-Ville, July 11, 2025.- Over 400 former members of the Departmental (BED) and Municipal (BEC) Electoral Offices claim 20 months of unpaid wages. Marginalized by the CEP despite their previous functions, these former electoral agents threaten to prevent the constitutional referendum. They still claim to hold official material as proof of their non-disabled status and call for an urgent response from the authorities.
The atmosphere is increasing around the organisation of the next referendum in Haiti. At a press conference held on Thursday, July 10, several former employees of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), from the BED and BEC, expressed their dissatisfaction and threatened to block the referendum process if their wage claims were not met.
These former officers claim that they have not received any remuneration for 20 months, despite the services rendered to the electoral institution. Feeling dismissed without justification or official notification, they denounce a situation which they call unfair and disrespectful of their professional commitment.
At the same time, the President of the CEP, Patrick Saint-Hilaire, recently introduced 65 new members of the BEDs and BECs, recruited across the country's ten departments. A decision that former employees perceive as an affront and an act of contempt for them. « We're being replaced without paying us. However, we still have working tools from the CEP »said one of them.
These former agents still claim to hold equipment belonging to the institution, including telephones, laptops and motorcycles. For them, this is a tangible proof that they have never been formally released from office.
They urge the authorities to exercise responsibility and common sense in order to avoid further deterioration of the situation. « What we ask is our due. If nothing is done, we will do everything to prevent the holding of the referendum. »They warned.
As the CEP intensifyes its preparations, this latent crisis may jeopardize the peaceful holding of the referendum. A rapid response from the authorities could prove crucial to prevent a further institutional impasse.
WA
