The process is now underway

Originally scheduled for July, the national consultations will finally begin on June 3, several weeks ahead of the initial timeline.

This announcement was confirmed on Friday by the Minister for Refoundation, Hanitra Razafimanantsoa, during a press conference intended to outline this vast institutional undertaking. At the heart of the project is the establishment of a Fifth Republic, presented by the government as a historic reform.

According to the Minister, this acceleration is in response to a directive from the Head of State, who wished to bring forward the various deadlines set out in the initial schedule. “We remain within the framework of the established timeline,” she stated, assuring that the process still adheres to the Refoundation roadmap, already presented to the international community last February.

Through this initiative, the government intends to quickly launch a process aimed at redefining the country’s institutional foundations. The stakes thus extend beyond mere public discussions, as the goal is to achieve a major institutional reform. The government plans to develop a national policy document based on consultations held throughout the country. This document will then serve as the basis for a future constitutional consultation. To strengthen the participatory dimension of the project, five levels of consultation will be established: fokontany (villages), communes (municipalities), districts, regions, and finally, the national level.

The minister defended an approach she described as “citizen-led, decentralized, inclusive, and sovereign,” with the stated ambition of bringing the population’s expectations to the highest levels of government. However, beyond this carefully presented institutional framework, several questions remain regarding the actual implementation of the process and the true extent of participation for the various political actors.