After several weeks of waiting, the national consultation process is entering a more concrete phase. The Prime Minister and the FFKM have begun to clarify the initial steps of a project aimed at preparing for institutional refoundation.
The process is taking shape. Following a long period of anticipation surrounding the national consultation, officials have begun to provide indications regarding its launch. Yesterday, at the Mahazoarivo State Palace, the Technical Committee in charge of the consultation, led by Prime Minister Mamitiana Rajaonarison, met for the first time.
This meeting is presented as the first operational step of the national consultation. According to the Prime Minister, the Committee will ensure the monitoring of the consultation in conjunction with the Council of Christian Churches in Madagascar (FFKM), particularly regarding the respect of its schedule and various stages.
Mamitiana Rajaonarison stated that the Committee will transmit the conclusions from the national consultation to him and will subsequently monitor their implementation by the government within the framework of the Refoundation. The committee includes representatives of youth from each province, civil society, traditional authorities, the private sector, and religious entities. In parallel, the FFKM has also begun to specify its arrangements.
Yesterday afternoon, the Ecumenical Council published an invitation on its Facebook page for an ecumenical service to inaugurate the headquarters from which it will steer the consultation. The ceremony will also serve as an opportunity to present the national coordinator and the planned stages of the process. A source close to the matter indicates that all stakeholders of the national consultation are to hold a meeting today, as a prelude to the event scheduled for Tuesday.
This preliminary meeting is also intended to introduce the national coordinator to the various stakeholders responsible for organizing and conducting the consultation. Barring any changes, Tuesday’s ecumenical service should mark the effective launch of the process, a step that comes with nearly a month’s delay compared to the initial schedule announced by the FFKM on June 21.
The goal set by the FFKM on June 21 was to start grassroots consultations at the ‘fokontany’ level as early as August, before gradually escalating proposals to the national level. This delay occurs while the schedule is already a constraint for the Refoundation process.
The Refoundation timeline provides for a first electoral deadline between May and July 2027. This should involve a referendum or a constitutional election, depending on the chosen option. However, the national consultation must contribute to the emergence of the draft Constitution(s) that will then be submitted to a popular vote. Its schedule is therefore closely linked to that of the Refoundation, planned over a twenty-four-month period starting in January.
Any further delay could eventually weigh on the electoral deadlines scheduled before the end of 2027. In addition to the referendum or constitutional election, a presidential election must also be organized. Upon his return from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit on Tuesday, Head of State Colonel Michaël Randrianirina affirmed that the elections would take place in 2027.
The President also indicated that the Independent National Electoral Commission (Ceni) would be ready to organize elections starting in July 2027, once the revision of the electoral list is completed. He also provided details on the political consultations he is currently conducting, explaining that these support a similar initiative by the Ceni to reach a consensus on electoral governance.
The stated objective is to move toward elections and avoid an extension of the transition. This initiative, conducted in parallel with the national consultation, could allow for the partial separation of discussions devoted to elections from those concerning the drafting of the new Constitution. This distinction could prove decisive regarding the schedule, as the FFKM and the Technical Committee launch the national consultation while the Ceni continues work on the electoral process, aiming to limit the impact of delays on other Refoundation deadlines.
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-22 05:53:33 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/08/concertation-nationale-les-responsables.html