(English) Madagascar begins ‘National Consultation’ on governance and law

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The Malagasy government has begun a six-month ‘National Consultation’ which it says is designed to ‘drive constitutional reform’ and form the basis of the Malagasy ‘Fifth Republic’.

The initiative will start at the fokotany level, progressing through communes, districts and regions of Madagascar. It is hoped the entire population will be able to express aspirations and opinions regarding the country’s governance, laws and constitution.

Malagasy president Michael Randrianirina, who led the Malagasy military’s CAPSAT unit before taking power in October this year, said the Consultation would ‘set the groundwork for a renew system of governance’ for Madagascar.

Randrianirina took power in Madagascar following a widespread national public uprising in September, which at first protested against widespread power cuts and breaks in water supply by the national distribution firm Jirana, but quickly developed into anti-government demonstrations in the wake of state violence against the protestors.

He pledged that there would be a civilian government in place under him and selected members of the Malagasy military and police force as a Council of the Presidency for the Re-Foundation of the Republic of Madagascar, which he chairs, ‘within two weeks’.

That pledge was fulfilled, and the Malagasy cabinet comprises 29 members, ten of them women, including three prominent opponents of the former government.

They are foreign minister Christine Razanamahasoa, who had been justice minister and National Assembly president, but joined the Malagasy opposition following pre-election tensions before the 2024 presidential vote, Fanirisoa Erinaivo, who had been in exile in France prior to the change of power, and Hanitrianaina Razafimanantsoa, who as the new government’s state minister is leading the Consultation.

Randrianirina also warned that elections for a new Malagasy government would be unlikely to be held until late 2027, but it is hoped that the Consultation, which aims to create national engagement and support for a ‘new model of Malagasy state and governance, will go a long way to creating the ‘national unity’ Randrianirina says must be in place for those elections to go ahead.