At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Haiti

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President René PREVAL
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Jean-Max BELLERIVE
• Assembly: Haiti has a bicameral National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) consisting of the Senate (Sénat) with 30 seats and the Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Députés) with 99 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 5-year term.
• The Prime Minister is nominated by the President.
• In the Senate (Sénat) 30 members are elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve 6-year terms*. In the Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Députés) 99 members are elected by absolute majority vote in single-member constituencies to serve 4-year terms.**

* One-third of the Senate is elected every two years. There are 10 multi-member constituencies (each with three seats) corresponding to the country's departments.

** The electoral system is two-rounds.

Main Candidates in the Second Round of the Presidential race:

• Mirlande MANIGAT
  • Party: Rassemblement des démocrates nationaux progressistes (RDNP)
• Michel MARTELLY
  • Party: Repons peyizan

Main Candidates in the First Round of the Presidential race:

• Mirlande MANIGAT
  • Party: Rassemblement des démocrates nationaux progressistes (RDNP)
• Charles Henri Jean-Marie BAKER
  • Party: Respect / Respe
• Jude CELESTIN
  • Coalition: Unity / Inite
• Michel MARTELLY
  • Party: Repons peyizan

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 9,999,617 (2010)
• Registered Voters: 4,712,693 (November 2010 )

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 5,056,438 (2010)

·         Is Haiti a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Haiti ratified CEDAW: Yes (20 July 1981)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 4 (Chamber of Deputies); 1 (Senate) following 2010 elections 

·         Human Development Index Position: 163 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Medium (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Haiti a signatory to CRPD: No

·         Has Haiti ratified CRPD: Yes, accession (23 July 2009)

·         Population with a disability: 1,499,942 (est.)