1961 Haitian presidential referendum
30 April 1961
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A presidential referendum was held in Haiti on 30 April 1961 alongside parliamentary elections.[1] Voters were asked whether President François Duvalier should remain in office for a further six years. The official count was 1,320,748 votes in favor of Duvalier and none against.[2] The New York Times wrote that "Latin America has witnessed many fraudulent elections throughout its history but none has been more outrageous than the one which has just taken place in Haiti."[3][4]
Legality and implications
[edit]Presidential reelection was expressly prohibited as per Article 87 of the Constitution in force at the time,[5] which had been promulgated under the administration of Duvalier himself shortly after his inauguration in 1957.[2]
In 1964, François "Papa Doc" Duvalier would go on to declare himself president for life.[2]
Results
[edit]| Choice | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| For | 1,320,748 | 100.00 | |
| Against | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Total | 1,320,748 | 100.00 | |
References
[edit]- ^ Le Nouvelliste, 3 May 1961
- ^ a b c "Haiti: The Duvalier Regime". Country Studies. Library of Congress. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ "Chicanery in Haiti". The New York Times. May 13, 1961. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ Abbott, Elizabeth (1988). Haiti: An insider's history of the rise and fall of the Duvaliers. Simon & Schuster. p. 103 ISBN 0-671-68620-8
- ^ "Constitution de 1957". Haiti Reference. Retrieved 5 February 2026.