Patriotic Congress for National Salvation

 Published on 12/11/2025

Haiti-Politics: Citizens to save the country

Born out of the Declaration of March 27, 2025, in the midst of a period of social crisis, the citizen initiative "Kongrè patriyotik pou yon sovtaj nasyonal (KPSN)" set itself the mission of reviving civic participation and promoting transparency in public management. With the goal of building sufficient consensus around solutions to end the crisis and halt the country's collapse, it has established itself in just a few months as a rising voice in the political debate. Through its campaigns, advocacy, and grassroots actions, it mobilizes citizens around a common ideal: to give power back to the people. In a national context marked by uncertainty and an urgent search for solutions, several actors from the academic world and civil society have chosen to unite to take a different approach. Nearly 15 Haitian public and private universities have joined forces with some 20 civil society organizations, both in Haiti and in the diaspora, to launch a broad process of reflection and citizen consultation. This initiative, driven by the conviction that lasting change must come from the Haitian people themselves, aims to lay the foundations for a sovereign national dialogue capable of charting a way out of the crisis that is shaking the country.

A diverse range of partners for inclusive dialogue

To carry out this initiative, the KPSN has the support of a wide range of partners and key players. Fifteen of the country's leading academic institutions, representing Haiti's ten departments, are actively involved in the process, along with dozens of civil society organizations. A dozen of the main political actors, parties, and groups, as well as members of the Presidential Transition Council (CPT) and the transitional government, are also contributing their expertise. In addition, there are former senior officials and dignitaries of the state, experts, scientists, and specialists in key fields, as well as representatives of the Haitian diaspora. All these actors are working side by side with hundreds of citizens from all walks of life to build an inclusive and sovereign dialogue aimed at identifying concrete solutions to lift the country out of crisis.

A structured process around three priorities

Between March and June, the first phase of the process unfolded in three complementary steps. First, about twenty sectoral meetings were organized, bringing together actors from the political, economic, and social spheres as well as the diaspora, in order to gather a diversity of viewpoints. Subsequently, an in-depth analysis of some sixty briefs, reports, and proposal documents submitted to the congress made it possible to identify critical issues requiring priority attention. Finally, this approach culminated in the holding of twelve citizens' congresses, including ten regional ones covering the country's departments, one dedicated to the diaspora, and a national synthesis congress, which consolidated all contributions and proposals. Indeed, nearly sixty speakers, experts, researchers, state authorities, and engaged citizens guided the discussions around three main lines of reflection: Security, to durably restore peace and public order; transition, to end prolonged political instability; and governance, with the aim of rebuilding the state and establishing responsible and effective management. Furthermore, other cross-cutting themes enriched the exchanges, notably the holding of free and credible elections, constitutional reform, strengthening the rule of law, social justice, economic recovery, and the response to the humanitarian crisis affecting the country.

Institutional reforms and immediate priorities

The reflection carried out by this citizen organization has also made it possible to identify clear priorities for the country's political and institutional reform. Regarding transitional governance, there is unanimous recognition of the inefficiency of the current Presidential Transition Council (CPT), composed of nine members. Two main alternatives have been proposed: either a scaled-down version of the CPT, more operational and credible, or an institutional solution inspired by the Constitution, entrusting the presidency of the transition to a judge of the Court of Cassation, an option deemed more consistent with republican traditions. Furthermore, it has been emphasized that any change in governance must be done in an orderly and responsible manner, at the end of the current CPT term, scheduled for February 7, 2026, thus avoiding any haste or upheaval. Regarding constitutional reform, while consensus recognizes the need to revise the Constitution, the current process has been widely criticized for its lack of legitimacy and transparency. Therefore, a new inclusive approach is advocated, led by legitimate authorities, building on the work of expert groups and truly involving the Haitian people. Ultimately, the security issue has been identified as the absolute priority. The urgent restoration of public order is considered an indispensable condition for organizing democratic, free, and credible elections, thereby ensuring political stability and citizens' trust in the process. While the country is going through a period of deep uncertainty, this citizen movement is gradually emerging as a central actor in the Haitian political debate. By bringing together experts, political actors, and citizens around common goals, it demonstrates that thoughtful and inclusive mobilization can chart concrete paths out of the crisis. Its structured approach aims to lay the foundations for more effective governance, restore security, and prepare free and credible elections, while strengthening democratic participation and citizen engagement.