Who runs local government in Haiti?
Haiti's 1987 Constitution sets up elected local government in 146 communes and 571 communal sections, but no local elections have been held since 2016. Since July 2020 the government has replaced elected municipal councils in 141 communes with appointed 'municipal commissions'. In 2026 armed gangs still controlled large parts of the Port-au-Prince area and of the Artibonite and Centre departments, so in many places real local power lies with gangs or with no one.
Republic of Haiti · Unitary semi-presidential republic (under transitional government) · Caribbean
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Departments (10) and arrondissements (42) | Government-appointed delegates and vice-delegates; elected departmental councils provided for in the Constitution have never functioned | Supervise local authorities; deliver some ministry services. |
| Communes (146) | By law a three-member municipal council (mayor and two deputies) elected every four years; since 2020, three-member municipal commissions appointed by the government | Local services, markets, civil status, local taxes, with very limited funds. |
| Communal sections (571) | By law an elected three-member administrative council (CASEC) and an elected assembly (ASEC) | Smallest unit; little financial or organisational autonomy. |
Three questions about local power in Haiti
Are local leaders elected?
By law, municipal councils, CASECs and ASECs are elected. In practice, no local elections have taken place since 2016 and most communes are run by appointed commissions. National elections are being prepared under a 2026 electoral decree.
Which laws set up local government?
Communes and communal sections are in the 1987 Constitution; the appointed municipal commissions rest on a 2020 ministerial order. Religious and community leaders' authority and gang control are informal.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
The Ministry of the Interior and Local Authorities controls the communes and their finances, and can replace appointed commissioners. With no elections, voters cannot currently remove local officials.
Traditional and customary authority
Informal authority matters greatly. Local notables, pastors and priests, and Vodou priests (oungan and manbo) are respected figures who settle disputes and organise help, especially in rural areas, but they have no legal powers. In the areas they control, armed gangs collect 'taxes' on roads and markets, decide who can move, and use violence and sexual violence against residents, according to the UN. This is not authority recognised by law.
Community and neighbourhood power
Grassroots organisations (organisations de base), church groups and neighbourhood committees provide much of the help people receive, including during displacement. About 1.47 million people (12% of the population) were displaced in mid-2026, many living in sites run informally by community committees.
Points to know
- Communes rely on a national fund (FGDCT); in 2021 the mayors' federation said the 2019–20 payments had still not reached communes.
- The communal section of Turgeau in Port-au-Prince had more people in 2015 than some departments.
- The Constitution provides for departmental assemblies and an interdepartmental council, but these were never set up.
- The 1987 Constitution was written after the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1986 to spread power away from the centre.
Local terms
- Section communale
- Communal section: the smallest administrative unit, mostly rural.
- CASEC / ASEC
- The elected administrative council and assembly of a communal section.
- Commission municipale
- An appointed three-member body that has run most communes since elected councils' terms ended in 2020.
Sources
- Haiti: country profile (SNG-WOFI), OECD–UCLG World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment, checked 14 October 2026
- Haiti's Constitution of 1987 (rev. 2012), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
- Report of the Secretary-General: United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (S/2026/574, 14 July 2026), United Nations Security Council / BINUH, checked 14 October 2026
See also: Haiti's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.