Madagascar: Ministry of the Interior

Updated July 2010

Until the passage of Ordonnance no 2010-003, the Ministry of the Interior, then the Ministry of the Interior and Administrative Reform (MIRA), was responsible for the conduct of electoral operations, as described by Lucien Toulou below. Articles 127-129 of Ordonnance no 2010-003 created the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI, Commission Electorale Nationale Indépendante) and transferred responsibility for the conduct of election to the new body. The Ministry of the Interior was given a voting representative on the CENI (Décret no 2010-120, Articles 5, 6) and is also responsible for the political party registration.

Role prior to Marh 2010

Extracted from: Lucien Toulou 2009 "Chapter 6: Madagascar" IN Denis Kadima and Susan Booysen (eds) Compendium of Elections in Southern Africa 1989-2009: 20 Years of Multiparty Democracy, EISA, Johannesburg, 201-202.

While the National Electoral Council supervises the operational aspects of the electoral process and the High Constitutional Court processes complaints and announces results, the ministry of interior is responsible for the material and technical organisation of the electoral process. Its tasks include planning and implementation as well as training of polling officials, voter registration, compilation of the voters' roll, issuing of voters' cards and compilation of election results. This close involvement of the Malagasy government in the conduct of elections has persistently stirred controversy over the neutrality and the impartiality of the electoral process. As a government department headed by a minister belonging to the ruling party, the ministry of interior is seen to be subject to political influence which is likely to compromise its independence, legitimacy and credibility.

Official web site

Ministry of the Interior: [www] http://www.mid.gov.mg/ [opens new window] (accessed 25 Jun 2010).

References

DÉCRET NO 2010-120 fixant l'organisation, le fonctionnement et les attributions de la Commission Electorale Nationale Indépendant, [www] http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/africa/MG/madagascar-decret-no-2010-120-2010-in-french/at_download/file [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 1 Jul 2010).

ORDONNANCE NO 2010-003 du 17 mars 2010 portant loi organique relative au Code électoral (repeals Loi organique no 2000-014), [www] http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/africa/MG/madagscar-ordonnance-no-2010-003-2010-in-french/at_download/file [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 1 Jul 2010).