Martelly Registers as Presidential Candidate in Haiti's Upcoming Election

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Former Haitian President Joseph Michel Martelly registered online on Friday as a presidential candidate with Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), becoming the 16th person to do so as of Oct. 16, 2026, according to Le Nouvelliste and The Haitian Times. Martelly, the konpa musician known as Sweet Micky who led the country from May 14, 2011, to Feb. 7, 2016, is running under DEBLOKE, a coalition of 11 political parties whose leaders are mostly former lawmakers and members of his now-demobilized Parti Haïtien Tèt Kale (PHTK). The Haitian Times reports the online registration is an initial step; candidates must still submit required documents to the CEP's departmental electoral office for validation. The move follows a second amendment, on Oct. 6, to the June 2 electoral decree that removed a required certificate from the Bank of the Republic of Haiti, leaving U.N. sanctions as the sole remaining barrier for designated individuals. Martelly, who returned to Haiti on July 15, 2026, has been sanctioned by Canada, the U.S. and the EU over allegations he denies, but does not appear on the U.N. sanctions list. The CEP has extended candidate registration through Oct. 31 and reported 16 presidential, 302 Senate and 1,050 Chamber of Deputies candidates.