In 2026, Will Haiti Finally Break Free from This State of Lawlessness?

To view governance as a political agreement between elected officials and the people is to acknowledge an obvious truth: the Constitution sets the rules. It defines the framework, the limits, the responsibilities, and the guarantees of this collective commitment. One cannot bypass it without facing dire consequences.

Yet, for decades, governance has been stripped of this framework. Through bypasses, silences, and surrenders, governance has become an improvised practice. The result is neither accidental nor fleeting. When the State operates outside of any constitutional reference, chaos ceases to be an anomaly; it becomes the norm.

For more than four years, the country has existed in a permanent “state of fact” (unconstitutional reality), governed without a compass or a clear constitutional horizon. Emergency has become a method, exceptions have become permanent, and the absence of a framework is gradually being accepted as an ordinary mode of governance.

However, 2026 demands a fundamental clarification: we cannot continue to evolve, reform, or project ourselves without a Constitution. It is no longer about managing emergencies or prolonging lawlessness. We must take the necessary steps to exit it.

How do we return to a constitutional framework? What must political leaders do? This is a fundamental and unavoidable question. But what can the citizen do? That is just as critical.

Returning to a constitutional framework is not solely a matter of institutional decisions. It also requires active, conscious, and informed civic vigilance. Without this demand from citizens themselves, any Constitution remains a suspended text—invoked when convenient, ignored when bothersome.

This weekly column is addressed primarily to civic engagement. It aims to enlighten, question, and challenge citizens on their role in ending this state of fact. Speaking the truth about the Constitution means reminding ourselves of an often-evaded truth: without a respected constitutional framework, there is neither legitimate governance nor a possible collective future.

In 2026, the duty of civic vigilance is no longer an option. It is a responsibility.

Chantal Volcy Céant January 5, 2026