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), becoming the 16th person to do so as of Oct. 16, 2026, Le Nouvelliste and The Haitian Times reported. The 56th head of state, a konpa musician known as Sweet Micky who governed from May 14, 2011, to Feb. 7, 2016, is running under Debloke, a coalition of 11 political parties led mostly by former lawmakers and members of his now-demobilized Parti Haïtien Tèt Kale (PHTK). 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 the Oct. 6 amendment of the June 2 electoral decree, which removed a requirement for a certificate from the Bank of the Republic of Haiti, leaving U.N. sanctions as the sole remaining barrier for designated individuals. Martelly does not appear on the U.N. sanctions list but was sanctioned by Canada in 2022, the U.S. in 2024 and the EU in 2025 over allegations including gang financing and drug trafficking, which he denies. The CEP has extended registration through Oct. 31 and reported 16 presidential, 302 Senate and 1,050 Chamber of Deputies candidates.