The 1987 Constitution — Diagnosis of an Institutional Collapse
Adopted in 1987 with the ambition of rebuilding the Haitian state around democratic, decentralized, and durable institutions, the Constitution has never been fully implemented.
This analytical dossier by Collectif 2035 examines the gap between the institutions established by the Constitution and those that have actually functioned in practice. It focuses in particular on the Permanent Electoral Council, territorial governments, decentralization, and the institutional mechanisms intended to limit the concentration of power. The report is organized around documented evidence, the extent of institutional damage, remediation pathways, and constitutional leverage on the executive.
Among the key findings highlighted in the dossier:
37 years of institutional non-implementation;
no fully constituted Permanent Electoral Council;
excessive concentration of administration and resources in Port-au-Prince;
weakened fiscal and territorial capacity;
the continued absence of several institutions required by the Constitution;
institutional, economic, and security consequences that reinforce one another.
The dossier also links the absence of autonomous territorial structures to state hypercentralization and weak local fiscal capacity.
The analysis does not stop at diagnosis. It proposes a sequential remediation plan in which each action is tied to a specific actor, timeline, and pressure mechanism.
The proposed pathways include strengthening the autonomy of the Electoral Council, establishing the Permanent Electoral Council, advancing fiscal decentralization, and progressively transferring resources to territorial communities.
Read the Full Dossier
Explore the documented evidence, institutional timeline, economic data, constitutional provisions, and proposed remediation plan.
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