Politics
National Assembly: Seven Bills on Agenda for Extraordinary Session from August 25
Deputies will return to Tsimbazaza Palace starting tomorrow. The National Assembly will convene in extraordinary session on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Seven bills are on the agenda for this session, featuring high-stakes legislation. The text on electronic communications and digital infrastructure ranks among the main issues submitted to deputies. Bill No. 040/2026, filed on July 21, 2026, aims to regulate this strategic sector as digital transformation accelerates and digital infrastructure increasingly shapes the economy and administration. Another major issue: cybercriminalité legislation reform. Bill No. 042/2026, filed on July 7, provides for a complete overhaul of Law No. 2014-006 of July 17, 2014 on combating cybercrime. The text comes amid growing digital usage and rising cyberspace offenses. This reform will be complemented by examination of Bill No. 043/2026, filed on August 4, authorizing ratification of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, known as the "Hanoi Convention." Adopted in Hanoi, Vietnam, on October 25, 2025, this convention establishes the new international framework for cooperation against digital offenses. The defense sector is also addressed in this extraordinary session. Bill No. 038/2026, filed on July 1, seeks to amend and supplement certain provisions of Law No. 96-029 of December 6, 1996, itself amended by Law No. 98-030 of January 20, 1999 on the general status of military personnel. Another sensitive text: Bill No. 039/2026 of July 17, dedicated to safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear technology in Madagascar. This text places nuclear safety, security, and peaceful use at the heart of parliamentary debate. Deputies will also examine Bill No. 016/2026 of June 2, authorizing approval of the supplementary agreement on financial management and productive investments within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). And Bill No. 019/2026 of June 2 addresses regulation of gambling activities and gaming operators. Again, the government seeks to establish a legal framework for a sector whose activities raise economic, fiscal, and social concerns.
Source: Midi Madagasikara