She is the widow of former president Leslie Manigat and briefly served as First Lady of Haiti in 1988.

[1][2] Mirlande Manigat was the presidential candidate for the Rally of Progressive National Democrats (RDNP) centre-right party.

On October 18, 2010, Dr. Manigat also received the endorsement of the Collectif pour le Renouveau Haïtien (COREH).

[1][1] Her platform for the presidency included a focus on education of the youth of Haiti, and lifting the long-standing and restrictive constitutional conditions on dual nationality.

Manigat also aimed for a more independent Haitian state, one less reliant upon and subject to foreign governments and NGOs.