The first true face-to-face meeting between the deputies and the Rajaonarison government was held yesterday. The session, which lasted late into the night, quickly turned into a flood of grievances from parliamentarians to the members of the government team.
“One of the fundamental pillars of democracy.” This is how Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, President of the National Assembly, described the question-and-answer session between deputies and the government during his opening speech yesterday. This marked the first such meeting between the deputies and the government team led by Prime Minister Mamitiana Rajaonarison.
According to Article 102 of the Constitution, these sessions are meant to serve as a means for Parliament to oversee government action. However, the democratic ritual quickly devolved into a session of complaints. Despite the rhetoric surrounding the “Refoundation of political practice,” deputies focused on local demands rather than general policy debates.
With five minutes of speaking time each, nearly all 163 deputies spent over twelve hours listing grievances for their respective districts. Key issues included access to drinking water, electricity outages, road rehabilitation, and recruitment quotas for teachers and medical staff. Some requested the restoration of TVM (public television) signals in their areas to allow constituents to watch the World Cup, while others addressed broader national concerns like the falling prices of paddy, rice, and vanilla.
A few interventions, such as those from deputies Gabrielle Raby Savatsarah and Narson Rafidimanana, sought clarification on budget execution and business climate improvements. However, as deputy Bruno Assimo noted, the session illustrated the gap between the “vital emergencies of the districts” and the central government’s actions, highlighting a persistent dissatisfaction with the lack of effective decentralization.
Captured & Published at: 2026-07-03 06:12:51 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/07/deputes-gouvernement-le-face-face-vire.html