Madagascar - 2024 Election
The President is directly elected by absolute majority vote in up to two rounds. The President may serve up to two 5-year terms. The Prime Minister is nominated by the National Assembly and confirmed by the President. In the Senate, 6 members are appointed by the President and 12 members are indirectly elected by an electoral college of subnational leaders. All members serve 5-year terms. In the National Assembly, 87 members are elected by plurality vote from single-seat constituencies and 64 are elected by closed-list proportional representation vote from multi-seat constituencies. All members are directly elected and serve 5-year terms. In the 2019 National Assembly election, the TGT party (known then as IRD) won a majority with 84 seats. Six other parties and 46 independent parties also won seats. Voter turnout was 40.71%.
Rajoelina first took power in 2009 on the back of a coup. After not running in the 2013 election due to international pressure, he was voted back into power in 2018. He had since held the reins in a country that remains among the poorest in the world despite vast natural resources.
Voters in Madagascar headed to the polls on 29 May 2024 to elect members of the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament. Polling stations opened at 6.00 a.m. local time (0300GMT) and closed at 5.00 p.m. (1400GMT) for 11.6 million voters, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission. More than 450 candidates are vying for 163 seats in the National Assembly. The ruling Tanora Malagasy Vonona party is seeking to extend its grip on power. The party won 84 out of 151 seats in the last election. Other major parties that have fielded candidates in the election include Groupe Parlementaire Uni pour la République (United Parliamentary Group) and Tiako I Madagasikara (I Love Madagascar).
International observers from the African Union led by Karine Kakasi Siaba as well as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) led by Justice Florence Mumba, former chairperson of Zambia’s electoral commission are among those monitoring the election across 120 districts.
In line with Article 3 of the revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021), SADC shall observe all general elections held in its Member States. As per the standard practice, the Government of the Republic of Madagascar had on 17th April 2024 invited the SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) to observe the country’s Legislative Elections, scheduled for the 29 May 2024.
In accordance with the SADC Principles and Guidelines, His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, and Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation appoints the Head of Mission (HoM) of the SEOM and mandates the SADC Secretariat, to coordinate the SEOM, including the facilitation of observers’ in-country deployment.
The SEOM was set to be deployed to the majority of Provinces of the Republic of Madagascar to observe the pre-election phase and the polling day. The Mission's objective is to assess the conduct of the elections in accordance with the revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021). These principles emphasise, among others, the importance of citizen participation in the democratic and development processes, the implementation of measures to prevent political violence, intimidation, and intolerance, and the promotion of equal opportunities for all political parties to access the State Media and for all citizens to access information.
Furthermore, the Mission emphasised the significance of acceptance and respect for the election results by all political parties. To uphold electoral integrity, electoral justice, good governance, peace, and stability in the SADC region, and to fulfill the commitment outlined in the SADC Principles and Guidelines, the launch of the SEOM will include various stakeholder engagements. These activities serve to educate and foster a deeper understanding among the electoral stakeholders about the work of the SEOM.
The parliamentary elections held on May 29, 2024 came several months after the disputed presidential vote. These elections were held to elect 163 members of the National Assembly, an increase from the previous 151 seats. The ruling party, Young Malagasies Determined, known by its Malagasy acronym TGV, was seeking to maintain its majority after having won 84 seats in the 2019 parliamentary elections. The coalition operated under the banner IRMAR, which stands for Together with President Andry Rajoelina.
The 2024 parliamentary election results were complex and initially contested. According to preliminary results released on June 11, 2024, the pro-government coalition IRMAR appeared to have lost its majority, winning 80 seats. Independent candidates made a strong showing with 55 seats, while the opposition coalition Firaisankina, led by former president Marc Ravalomanana, won 22 seats. However, following appeals to the High Constitutional Court, the ruling coalition regained four previously lost seats, bringing their total to 84 seats, which allowed them to maintain a narrow majority in the new legislature. Independent candidates ultimately secured 50 seats in the final count, while Firaisankina's 22 seats represented an increase of six compared to the previous election.
The parliamentary elections were monitored by observers from the African Union and the Southern African Development Community. However, concerns about electoral integrity persisted. On June 1, 2024, the Safidy Observatory, Madagascar's largest election monitoring group, raised doubts about the neutrality, impartiality, and independence of the electoral commission in its conduct of the vote. The release of provisional results, initially scheduled for June 8, was postponed to June 11, adding to suspicions about the process.
Both the 2023 presidential and 2024 parliamentary elections reflected ongoing challenges to democratic governance in Madagascar. The opposition boycott of the presidential election and the controversies surrounding both votes highlighted deep political divisions in the country. The low voter turnout and questions about electoral legitimacy have contributed to the political instability that ultimately manifested in the mass protests beginning in September 2025, which led to the dissolution of the government and the appointment of General Zafisambo as prime minister. These electoral disputes left Madagascar's political landscape fragmented and contentious, with the opposition refusing to recognize the legitimacy of Rajoelina's government.
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