See-through ballot boxes and aboveboard elections

Because of the urgency of the situation, the Malagasy government initially footed the bill for these ballot boxes. However, the European Union, as part of its financial contribution toward the organization of the December 15 general elections, has agreed to subsequently reimburse the state. In any event, the use of see-through ballot boxes during the upcoming general elections will cost $600,000. These see-through ballot boxes, as well as other necessary election supplies such as padlocks, and permanent markers, were officially turned over to government officials on November 29, 2002 in Antananarivo. Mr. Guy Rajemison, the president of the senate, represented the president during this ceremony. He promised the large contingency of foreign diplomats that much like these see-through ballot boxes, used in Madagascar for the first time, the elections will be open, and aboveboard. This, in the name of democracy. Agents from the Ministry of the Interior will now be trained to assemble these see-through ballot boxes which came unassembled. Other Interior Ministry office staff from various districts will also be trained for this task, later on.

Since the ballot boxes were made in Canada, the Canadians were responsible for seeing to the timely delivery of the supplies to Madagascar. The Malagasy government has two weeks to get the ballot boxes to the voting precincts. Given the current state of disrepair in which the highways and trails are in, this will require some serious mode of transportation. The ministry of the interior expects to have some 17,000 polling locations over the entire Island. This figure is slightly higher than the one they had for the 2001 presidential election. Because the opposition is just waiting for any opportunity to pounce on them with a vengeance, the new authorities cannot afford any margin of error. Moreover, the world will be watching through the watchful eyes of international election observers. At long last, these elections will permanently close the book on a political legacy which, in the end, has left nothing but ruins and devastation in its wake.