Antananarivo, September 2, 2026. The sixth and final steering committee meeting of the Electoral and Democratic Process Strengthening Project in Madagascar (RPEDEM) was held today at the headquarters of the CENI in Alarobia, officially marking the closure of this electoral assistance initiative. CENI President Thierry Rakotonarivo, UN Resident Coordinator Anthony Ngororano, UNDP Resident Representative Edward Christow, and representatives of technical and financial partners attended the meeting. The project's final review was presented covering technical and financial aspects. In his address, Thierry Rakotonarivo recalled RPEDEM's initial ambitions: "to rebuild a solid social contract, one where every voice counts and where the electoral system faithfully and peacefully reflects the sovereign expression of the Malagasy people." He emphasized that this project is an essential pillar toward stable, transparent, and inclusive governance. Launched in March 2023 at the request of the Malagasy government, RPEDEM supported the organization of the 2023 presidential elections, May 2024 legislative elections, and December 2024 municipal elections. For the first time in the country's electoral history, visually impaired voters were able to vote independently thanks to a unique braille ballot, stated Chief Technical Advisor François Butedi. The project also benefited from two sub-projects: the Japan Supplementary Budget, which promoted women's and youth participation and strengthened CENI's capacity in biometric data management, and the Mahasaky project, focused on preventing tensions through youth civic and political participation. Three digital platforms were established with UNDP-Brussels support: iParticipate, iReport, and iVerify. With a total budget exceeding 13 million dollars, RPEDEM has reached its conclusion. A new project, APERM (Support for the Electoral Process for Madagascar's Refoundation), is currently being prepared as its successor.