Official: Haiti Presidential Runoff Will Be Postponed

Published January 22, 2016 at 12:52 PM CST

A man walks past election posters of presidential candidate Jovenel Moise of the PHTK political party, in front of the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, on January 21, 2016.
The second round of presidential elections is scheduled for January 24 between ruling party candidate Jovenel Moise and Jude Celestin. Celestin has said he does not want to participate in the January 24 run-off against Moise, who has yet to submit his official resignation to the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP). (Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images) — A man walks past election posters of presidential candidate Jovenel Moise of the PHTK political party, in front of the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, on January 21, 2016. The second round of presidential elections is scheduled for January 24 between ruling party candidate Jovenel Moise and Jude Celestin. Celestin has said he does not want to participate in the January 24 run-off against Moise, who has yet to submit his official resignation to the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP). (Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images)

The spokesman for Haiti’s electoral council says that a much-criticized presidential runoff election will be postponed for a second time.

Roudy Stanley Penn tells The Associated Press that the Provisional Electoral Council has agreed to postpone the presidential and legislative runoffs that had been set for Sunday.

Penn did not immediately provide any other specifics Friday, saying a news conference would be held later.

Haitian officials have been trying to negotiate a solution to the country’s election crisis. One of two presidential candidates has been boycotting the runoff and declined to campaign.

There has been growing concern that a flawed runoff would push Haiti to the edge of tumult, rolling back a decade of relative political stability and putting the brakes on foreign investment.

Guest

Jacqueline Charles, Caribbean correspondent at the Miami Herald. She tweets @Jacquiecharles.