The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is urging the Malagasy State to honor its commitments, specifically demanding a precise and transparent calendar for the Refoundation process.
A call to order. This was the tone of the communiqué summarizing the main points of discussion during the extraordinary Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), held yesterday via videoconference.
According to the statement, “the Summit urged the Malagasy government to fulfill its commitment to clear reforms, accompanied by a precise, transparent calendar, open to all stakeholders and widely disseminated in national languages, in order to ensure broad participation and acceptance of the outcomes by the Malagasy population.”
The communiqué further noted, “the Summit reiterated the importance of upholding the rule of law and democratic governance, affirming the expectation that the reforms restore constitutional order and lead to the establishment of a democratically elected government that respects the will of the Malagasy people.”
The tone of this missive stands in contrast to the international optimism following the presentation of the Republic’s Refoundation Program to the SADC on February 28 in Iavoloha. That document outlined the transition schedule, targeting a referendum or constitutional election and a presidential election before the end of 2027. Since then, however, the situation has shifted.
Colonel Michaël Randrianirina, the Head of State, granted full authority to the Council of Christian Churches of Madagascar (FFKM) to lead the national consultation process. The FFKM has since published a new, summary calendar that makes no mention of electoral deadlines. It is likely the Churches consider the timeline for elections to be outside their mandate.
However, it is highly probable that the new calendar released by the FFKM was presented to the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government yesterday. Beyond its brevity, the omission of elections may have disappointed the regional organization. As previously indicated, for the SADC, initiatives undertaken for the “Refoundation of the Republic” must lead to elections. Furthermore, the Summit—the supreme body of the regional organization—is calling for “respect for the Constitution” throughout the processes engaged during this transition period.
Yesterday’s deliberations were based on a report from the Organ on Politics, Defense, and Security, which stemmed from the third assessment mission conducted by the SADC Committee of Elders in Madagascar at the beginning of May. Evidently, much like some political actors and observers, the SADC delegates appear to have struggled to identify the ultimate objective of the State-led Refoundation, particularly regarding the national consultation.
Initially, the State focused on reforming institutions with the end goal of adopting a new Constitution, followed by general elections, including the presidential election. However, a portion of the political spectrum and the FFKM have been advocating for a more profound societal transformation.
Captured & Published at: 2026-06-30 16:45:25 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/06/calendrier-de-la-refondation-la-sadc.html