The national consultation process was officially launched yesterday during an ecumenical service in Voara village, Andohatapenaka. On this occasion, the FFKM announced the consultation schedule, with resolutions to be presented after May 2027. The FFKM aims to begin debates at Fokontany level on September 14.
The game is finally underway. As expected, the Ecumenical Council of Christian Churches of Madagascar (FFKM) officially launched the operational phase of the national consultation yesterday. The kickoff took place during an ecumenical service organized in Voara village, Andohatapenaka.
Beyond presenting the structure that will lead the process, including its national coordinator, the FFKM also presented the national consultation schedule yesterday. The major deadline announced by the Churches is that resolutions from the debates "will be presented after May 2027." Immediately, there will be a trainer training session from today until Friday at the International Conference Centre (CCI) in Ivato.
Facilitator training for the consultation at district, commune, and Fokontany levels will then take place from September 1-11. The ecclesiastical institution aims to begin the actual consultation from Fokontany level on September 14. The Churches' schedule indicates that consultations at commune level should begin October 5, then October 26 for districts and November 16 for regions.
National-level consultation is scheduled for March 2027. Resolutions will therefore be published after May 2027. The schedule presented by the Churches yesterday could disrupt the one established by the State and outlined in the Republic Refoundation Program. This document provides for a first electoral deadline—a referendum or constitutional election—between May and July 2027. The constitutional project(s) submitted to citizens' vote must stem from the national consultation resolutions.
Respecting the Deadline
Initially, a race against time could begin after the national consultation resolutions are published. Unless changes occur, the document will be submitted to an expert committee that will draft the constitutional project(s). Time must be allocated for various adoption stages to create one or more fundamental law projects. The possibility that the consultation recommends establishing a Constituent Assembly must also be considered.
Another objective in the Republic Refoundation Program is holding the presidential election before end of 2027. However, the idea is that the next race for the supreme office will be based on the Fifth Republic Constitution. A delay in the referendum or constitutional election schedule risks impacting the presidential election timeline as well.
Yesterday, Colonel Thierry Rampanarivo, senior advisor for Refoundation, and Prime Minister Mamitiana Rajaonarison sought to reassure about respecting the commitment to complete the transition by end of 2027. "The objective is to respect the deadline and conduct elections under transparent, credible, peaceful and universally accepted conditions," Colonel Rampanarivo stated, recalling this is the goal of political consultations led by Colonel Michaël Randrianirina, Head of State.
The Refoundation senior advisor emphasizes that electoral governance reform can proceed parallel to national consultation. "We cannot wait. What can be done now must be done now. If preparations can be made today, why wait until tomorrow," he argues. Initially, the framework for 2027 elections could stem from political consensus.
For his part, the Prime Minister states that "the government I lead will provide full support to the national consultation to not exceed the established schedule. So that institutional Refoundation is realized in 2027, and so Malagasy people have a legally elected Government." So be it.
Garry Fabrice Ranaivoson