A democracy falters when citizens doubt the fidelity of the ballot box results compared to their actual votes. In Madagascar, beyond the logistical organization, legal regularity, and financial costs of elections, it is now trust that is at stake. An election derives its full legitimacy from the collective conviction that it sincerely reflects the voice of the people.
Despite numerous reforms, elections—whether national or local—continue to face the same obstacles: contested results, citizen distrust, recurring political tensions, and dependence on external support. Faced with these blockages, it is urgent to change perspectives. Improving procedures is no longer enough; we must rebuild the link between the citizen and their ballot. The challenge is not just to organize an election, but to ensure that every citizen recognizes their own choice in the proclaimed result.
The credibility of an election rests above all on public trust, which requires an honest, transparent, traceable, and verifiable process. This implies that citizens should not be mere one-day voters, but true actors in legitimizing the entire electoral chain. It is in this spirit that the idea of a democratically credible election is taking shape, based on a dual guarantee: one institutional and one citizen-led. While electoral authorities retain their legal prerogatives regarding the organization, processing, and proclamation of results, voters must simultaneously become stakeholders in the verification and traceability of the process.
This approach also leads to rethinking the cost of electoral democracy. A reliable election does not necessarily depend on the budget and technology mobilized. In the current context, a sober election based on integrity and transparency garners collective support. The true challenge is not to organize financially and technologically sophisticated elections, but to establish a system of voting that is democratically legitimate.
These issues were highlighted during a reflection day held last Thursday at the Malagasy Academy, where it was strongly recommended to place the citizen at the heart of the process. Because it has the unique virtue of transforming individual votes into collective legitimacy, trust is, without a doubt, the primary democratic capital of the Republic’s elected officials.
Laza Andrianirina, Titular Member of the Malagasy Academy
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-08 06:23:59 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/08/la-confiance-publique-comme-premier.html