Michel Martelly Registers as Presidential Candidate in Haiti
Former president's online registration under the Debloke coalition is preliminary and must still be validated by the Provisional Electoral Council.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Former President Joseph Michel Martelly registered online on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, as a presidential candidate with Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), becoming the 16th person to do so, according to Le Nouvelliste and The Haitian Times. Martelly, the konpa musician known as Sweet Micky who led Haiti from May 14, 2011, to Feb. 7, 2016, is running under the banner of Debloke, a coalition that includes former members of PHTK, the party he once led.
The outlets report 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 requirement for a certificate from the Bank of the Republic of Haiti, leaving American sanctions as the sole remaining barrier for designated individuals.
Martelly, who returned to Haiti on July 15, 2026, has been sanctioned by Canada (November 2022), the United States (August 2024) and the European Union (December 2025) over allegations including gang financing and drug trafficking, which he has denied. He does not appear on the UN sanctions list. The CEP has extended candidate registration through Oct. 31 and reported 16 presidential, 302 Senate and 1,050 Chamber of Deputies candidates as of Oct. 16.