In the waning light over Port‑au‑Prince, the streets tell stories of collapse and fatigue. Shops stand shuttered or half-stacked with the goods of interrupted lives. Mothers clutch children close, their eyes lined with years of uncertainty. Here, time no longer measures days or months—it measures the pause between fears and hopes.

On this day, February 7, 2026, a chapter in Haiti’s turbulent history has quietly closed. The Transitional Presidential Council, a nine-member body created nearly two years ago to shepherd the nation toward elections and stability, has seen its mandate expire. What was meant to be a bridge to democratic governance has become instead a testament to unfulfilled promises, deepening violence, and political uncertainty.

The council, formed after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and the political turmoil that followed, was always an imperfect compromise—an unelected collective tasked with restoring security and laying the groundwork for elections not held in nearly a decade. Its tenure was marked by deepening gang control over much of Port‑au‑Prince, allegations of corruption, and internal strife that hindered even the most basic governance functions.

Now, as the council dissolves without a successor body, Haiti enters a new phase of political limbo. There is no clear mechanism to govern, no electoral mandate to bind leaders to the will of the people, and no guarantee that planned elections later this year will take place. For many Haitians, this uncertainty is not an abstract worry but the daily reality of navigating streets where armed groups set the rhythm of life and institutional authority exists only in name.

Efforts to bolster security continue haltingly. A United Nations–approved international mission is gradually deploying personnel, though far below intended levels. External actors, including neighboring countries, have exerted influence, calling for continuity and the protection of civilians. Yet these gestures underscore a deeper truth: Haiti’s crisis is as much about governance and legitimacy as it is about armed conflict.

In the gathering dusk, voices in the capital speak of fatigue and resilience in the same breath. They yearn for elections, for normalcy, for a reason to believe that the arc of their future can still bend toward life beyond crisis. But with the council gone and no clear light ahead, those hopes shift once more into the realm of waiting—a waiting measured by the palpable weight of unresolved history and the unanswered question of what comes next.

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Sources

Reuters Associated Press Atlantic Council