In politics, as in business, one must do the math. At the beginning of this month of May, the equation should raise concerns and prompt action to give the transition every possible chance of succeeding. There is still no new electoral decree nor a budget to hold elections in 2026. Between the government and the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), the two sides are clearly not in harmony. This is obvious regarding the amount of the electoral budget. We will have to wait and see whether there will be other points of contention. That is anything but desirable, because confrontation between the political authority and the technical body is not a good approach. The time has come for all sides to tone things down, to act responsibly regarding the financial resources that a poor country with a thousand priorities must inject into the electoral process. The time has also come to bring everyone together and mobilize all energies in service of the elections. The government and its allies must calm their enthusiasm and avoid picking fights with the CEP, which, technically, through the electoral decree, must determine the rules of the electoral game.

Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé must, with the support of serious and disinterested international partners, fully support the CEP, accompany it, and change the perception that he wishes to derail the electoral process in order to remain in power. The CEP, much weaker than it believes itself to be, is only one stroke of the pen away from dissolution and a call to the sectors to confirm or designate new representatives. These are scenarios that must be avoided. Unnecessary conflicts and testosterone-driven confrontations from all sides are counterproductive.