Madagascar - 2019 Election
The five-year term of the outgoing legislature, started in February 2014, expired on 5 February 2019 and the President ruled the country by decree until the new legislature was convened in July 2019. President Andry Rajoelina’s Isika Rehetra Miaraka amin'i Andry Rajoelina (IRD, meaning “We Are All with Andry Rajoelina”) won the majority in the 151-member National Assembly, taking 84 seats. The Tiako I Madagasikara (TIM, “I Love Madagascar”) of former President Marc Ravalomanana came a distant second, with 16 seats. In addition, 46 independent candidates were elected. The newly elected National Assembly, convened in July 2019, unanimously elected Ms. Christine Razanamahasoa (IRD) as its new Speaker.
The elections in 2019 followed political turmoil, triggered by Parliament’s adoption of electoral laws in April 2018. Opposition parties had argued that some new measures, such as a shorter campaigning period and eligibility conditions for the presidency, would effectively exclude them from future presidential elections. TIM and MAPAR (the largest party in the outgoing legislature, supporting Mr. Rajoelina) filed a case at the High Constitutional Court (HCC) demanding that it remove President Hery Rajaonarimampianina from office. In May, the HCC annulled several measures in the electoral laws. In June, the HCC ordered the formation of a new consensus government within one week. Prime Minister Olivier Mahafaly resigned and was succeeded by Mr. Christian Ntsay. The latter’s candidacy had been proposed by the then opposition leader Mr. Rajoelina. The new Prime Minister called presidential elections for November and December 2018. Mr. Hery Rajaonarimampianina, who resigned in September to run for the presidential elections, was eliminated in the first round. Mr. Rajoeliena defeated Mr. Ravalomanana in the run-offs. Mr. Rajoelina was sworn in as President in January 2019.
In April 2019, President Rajoelina announced his plan to abolish the Senate and called a constitutional referendum in parallel with the parliamentary elections. However, the referendum was not held due to the unfavourable opinion of the HCC. On 25 May, shortly before the parliamentary elections, the HCC ruled that the presidential decree modifying the composition of the Senate was constitutional, thereby paving the way for the statutory number of members to be reduced from the current 63 to 18, which is yet to be implemented. The current Senate comprised 42 senators (6 per province) elected by an electoral college and 21 members appointed by the President. The 2019 decree provides for 12 indirectly elected senators (2 per province) and 6 presidential appointees. The new statutory number will be applied after the end of the current Senate term in 2021.
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