In January 2024, in Madagascar, several electoral mandates will come to an end, that of the President of the Republic first of all but also that of some 1,700 mayors of the island and their municipal councillors. 2023 should therefore be an important electoral year for Malagasy people, but one year from the deadline, the organization of municipal elections seems to be overshadowed by discussions around the presidential election.
With our correspondent in Antananarivo, Sarah Tetaud
The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) is discreet on the subject, which seriously worries civil society organizations.
” It is a right of citizens and politicians to know if, this year, there will be an election and which election(s) insists Robert Namearison, national president of KMF Cnoe, a civil society organization very active in observing public life and educating citizens,
Trampling of the democratic process?
Robert Namearison bangs his fist on the table and clarifies that the hypothesis advanced of a possible postponement is perceived as a trampling of the democratic process: “ For us, civil society and especially for the KMF Cnoe, no pretext is acceptable to postpone or cancel an election, whether political or financial. It is up to the government to find the solutions in collaboration with the Ceni. We must have two elections, before January 2024 and, in our opinion, above all not abandon the local election that is the municipal election. We can organize it with the 2nd round of the presidential election to respect the deadline given by law. You have to have that spirit ! »
This postponement, already announced by some Malagasy media, is however not confirmed by the president of the CENI, Dama Andrianarisedo: “ For the moment, it is not yet acted he says. However: ” The budget for the municipal election is not yet included in the budget of the initial finance law. It is under consideration. You will be informed in the coming days. »
Civil society is sorry
According to the electoral institution, a timetable for the two elections should be proposed next week to the government.
For its part, civil society says it is sorry that the alarm bell, sounded in 2022, about the organization of elections, has not been taken seriously. As a solution to this exceptional overlapping of the electoral calendar, it then proposed to advance the municipal elections to May 2023, to have time to then organize the presidential election at the end of the year. A proposal that had no response.
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