Madagascar: a constitutional referendum announced for July 2027, the presidential election expected before the end of the year.
The Malagasy transition authority has announced that a first vote dedicated to the future constitutional framework of the country will be held in July 2027. A presidential election should then be organized before the end of the same year, but the schedule for the prior national consultation remains unclear.
SUMMARY
Colonel Michael Randrianirina presented this deadline during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, on the sidelines of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Durban. The term referendum was not used, but the announced vote will focus on the future constitutional framework of Madagascar.
The presidential election should follow the constitutional vote and take place before the end of 2027. This prospect was already included in the “Refoundation Program,” submitted to the SADC at the end of February. However, the deadline announced in July represents a delay of a few weeks compared to the schedule presented in May by the Independent National Electoral Commission (Céni).
Two steps still need to be taken before holding these consultations. The first involves a national consultation entrusted to the Ecumenical Council of Christian Churches of Madagascar, known by the acronym FFKM. The process should start at the local level, within the smallest administrative structures, before moving up to a national consultation.
The second step involves political dialogue with the parties to prepare for elections that are likely to be accepted by all stakeholders. The specific terms of this dialogue have not yet been announced.
A timetable still contested by Gen Z
The national consultation, which was supposed to start in August, currently has neither an officially defined theme nor a detailed timetable. According to a member of the Gen Z movement quoted by RFI, the process has not even begun at the level of the fokontany leaders, the basic administrative units in Madagascar.
This representative believes that the government’s announcement does not provide a new response to the concerns of the mobilized youth. For Gen Z, the lack of details regarding the consultation and the delay in its launch perpetuate uncertainty around the political transition.
The government must now clarify the content of the constitutional process, the terms of dialogue with the parties, and the operational timetable leading up to the two announced votes.
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