Madagascar: Malagasy people at the polls for legislative elections

Malagasy voters go to the polls this Wednesday, May 29 to elect their 163 deputies from 473 candidates.

After twenty days of intensive campaigning, Malagasy voters are preparing to vote this Wednesday, May 29 to renew the 163 seats in the National Assembly. The campaign, launched on May 8 and closed at midnight on May 27, was marked by a sustained pace from both the ruling party and the opposition. The candidates not only outlined their legislative ambitions, but also put forward development projects and social actions for their constituencies.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (Ceni) announced that more than 11.6 million Malagasy people are registered on the electoral lists, marking an increase of 5.32% compared to the previous year. With a participation rate expected to increase compared to the 46% of the 2023 presidential elections, these legislative elections are seen as local elections, allowing local populations to choose their representatives in Parliament.

Voting will take place in 28,124 polling stations across the island. The CENI also confirmed a strong mobilization of observers, with around twenty national and international electoral observation missions, in particular those of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and the African Union, present on site since several days to guarantee the transparency of the electoral process.

In a televised speech scheduled for Tuesday evening, the President of the Ceni, Dama Arsène Andrianarisedo, will call on citizens to participate massively in this election.