WAIT IT OUT

Earthquake’s Havoc Could Delay Post-Assassination Election, Says Haiti Leader

Doctors, aid workers rush in as tropical storm approaches disaster zone, where at least 1,297 people are known to have died in the 7.2-magnitude quake.

Haiti was long overdue for an election when President Jovenel Moise was shot dead by a gang of assassins last month, but the vote now looks set to be pushed back even further after Saturday’s devastating earthquake. At least 1,297 people are known to have died in the 7.2-magnitude quake, with an unknown number still missing. Days before it struck, authorities agreed to hold a presidential election no later than November—but Prime Minister Ariel Henry told the Miami Herald that target now looks unlikely as the nation deals with its latest crisis. “We do not have an election calendar,” Henry said when asked about the November vote. However, without setting a date, the PM added: “We will have elections. We cannot be a democratic state without elections.” Meanwhile, Reuters reported that doctors and aid workers are rushing to get to Haiti before an expected storm rolls in on Monday. Tropical Depression Grace is reportedly forecast to pass through areas directly hit by the quake.