Madagascar: Election observation

Updated July 2010

Amongst the duties assigned to the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI, Commission Electorale Nationale Indépendante) is the accreditation of national and international observers, who are restricted to three observers per polling station (Ordonnance no 2010-003, Article 77). Observers have the right to observe all voting and counting operations in any of the buildings where these operations are carried out (Ordonnance no 2010-003, Article 100). National observers have the right to approach the CENI in regard to infringements made by candidates, polling officials or seconded civil servants during electoral operations or work on voters' rolls in the district for which the observers are deployed (Décret no 2010-120, 29). Observers are prohibited from intervening in the operations of the polling station, but may express verbally, or append to the official report of electoral operations, their observations, objections or disputes; verbal observation are to be noted in the official report (Ordonnance no 2010-003, Article 78, 100). Observers must present a certificate of mandate from the organization affiliated to to the Presiding Officer of the polling station, signed by both the principle and the observer, that includes the following information (Ordonnance no 2010-003, Article 79, 80):

  1. full names;
  2. date and the birthplace;
  3. residence;
  4. organization and its physical address;
  5. the number, the date and the place of delivery of the national identity card for a national observer or passport for a foreign observer;
  6. district of deployment; and
  7. the number of the voter registration card and the polling station of a national observer.

Foreign observers are required to respect the law and order of Madagascar and conform to the laws and regulations in force (Ordonnance no 2010-003, Article 80).

Reference

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, [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).