A dispute has erupted between part of the fokonolona and the new fokontany chief in Aranta. The handover between the former chief and the new official was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. at the fokontany office. The new fokontany chief of Aranta, dressed in white, faced opposition from residents to the installation of Jean-Noël Rasolomonenjanahary and his team. EMMO-Security personnel intervened to prevent the situation from escalating. "We don't want this stranger. We need an election and let the residents choose, respect our choice. We are asking the prefect of Mahajanga to come to the fokontany," residents declared. The previous fokontany chief of Aranta, Jinoro Velomanana Ferdinand, was appointed regional director of Youth and Sports in the Melaky region following the Council of Ministers on June 10. A committee member succeeded him in this role until last Wednesday. "I was appointed and designated by decree and I came to execute the decision. The handover was disrupted by individuals. The troublemakers are supporters of the old regime and it's normal that they contest. I didn't come to create disorder; on the contrary, I came to contribute to the development of the fokontany. I was accompanied by my team and the sojabe," explained the new fokontany chief. However, he was unable to access his office. The continuation of the procedure now depends on intervention by the Mahajanga prefecture. Transitional Appointment According to the latest decree from the supervising ministry, fokontany chiefs are currently subject to transitional appointment by the administration, pending national consultation on institutional reforms. Fokontany committee members are appointed by decree of the competent administrative authority, namely the district chief or prefect. The fokontany chief is chosen primarily from state agents residing in the locality. Failing that, he is chosen from residents who can read, write, and are capable of managing the basic administration. Officials of several of the twenty-six fokontany in the urban commune of Mahajanga have recently been renewed. The appointment of new fokontany chiefs in Mahajanga Be, Mahavoky Atsimo, and Mangarivotra also took place recently in Mahajanga.