Critical Assessment of the CPT: A Transition Without Foundation, Direction, or Results

With barely a month left before the deadline set by the April 3, 2024 agreement and the April 10, 2024 decree—aligned with the constitutional deadline of February 7, 2026—the political transition led by the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) appears to be one of the most abysmal, opaque, and contested institutional experiments in Haiti’s recent history. Far from restoring state authority or preparing for a credible return to constitutional order, this transition leaves behind a sense of profound failure.

From the start, Le Quotidien 509 denounced the so-called “legitimate” component of the CPT, describing it as a “kangaroo structure”—tangled and without a solid legal footing. The famous April 3rd agreement was never published in the official gazette, Le Moniteur, depriving the transition of clear normative legitimacy. This original flaw led to the failure to establish the OCAG (Government Action Oversight Body), the backbone for ensuring commitments are met, which continues to undermine every decision made in the name of the State.

In terms of governance, the transition has been characterized more by speeches, official photos, travels, and unjustified expenses than by structural actions. Opacity reigns: there is no accountability framework, no transparency regarding public funds, and no credible budget communication. The State functions through notes and announcements while institutions, hollowed out, have been reduced to mere shadows of themselves.

Even more serious are the allegations of corruption and ethical breaches involving CPT members. The 100-million-gourde BNC scandal remains a symbolic example of these failures. While insecurity rages and the population sinks into poverty, the nine members of the CPT project an image of a power focused on sharing privileges and resources.

On the security front, results are non-existent. The population continues to flee and count the dead. Territories lost to gangs have expanded, and the electoral process remains purely theoretical, with no conditions met to guarantee safety or credibility.

As February 7, 2026 approaches, history will judge. The archives will not forget the names of those who signed and led this contested transition.