In Madagascar, the census of voters for the total overhaul of the electoral list is extended by one month. This is indicated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (Céni) in a press release. While this operation was to end at the end of December, it will continue until January 31. A request from the CENI to the government when the latter has only counted a little more than 7 million voters out of the 13.5 million it has set itself.
With our correspondent in Antananarivo, Laetitia Bezain
In Manjakamiadana, in the upper town, 30% of residents of voting age are not yet registered. Dieudonné Rakotonoelimanana is the vice-president of Fokontany, the district administrative office. ” This extension of the census of voters, we really need it in our neighborhood because there are people who have just obtained their identity card. Others have left to work in the regions and return during the holiday season and this is an opportunity to register them on the list. he says.
In its statement, the Ceni calls ” all Madagascans to open their doors to enumerators “, agents not always well received. ” There are people who don’t want to register because they don’t trust them. They tell us that there are problems with the CENI software. They denigrate the census operation. They say, ‘It’s a waste of time. It’s a foregone conclusion.’ The problem is that this operation has been politicized “, says Mosa Etienne, deputy head of the Lalamby district.
Lack of human resources
Some residents are faced with the lack of human resources deployed, such as Alain, caretaker, who works from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Door-to-door enumerators come during working days at times when you are not at home and the neighborhood office is closed on weekends. If it continues like this, I will not be able to register at all he says.
Census activities also suffer from insufficient communication. The Ceni calls on politicians and civil society to encourage citizens to register.
►Also read: Madagascar: beginning of the census of voters for the overhaul of the electoral list