Mission accomplished for the new Electoral Court. The Electoral Commission is back on track

The Malagasy electoral process is finally back on track. The Electoral Commission issued the electoral deadlines, both of them being included in this year. The elections’ knock out round will take place on October 25th, its playoffs together with legislative elections will come true on December 20th. As a matter of fact, major elections will take place during the rainy season deemed to begin approximately by December 1st.
As another matter of fact, electoral rules do require major elections to unfold during the dry season, in order to do away with communication problems and to avoid likely monsoon related natural disasters. The electoral laws’ article 36 addresses however a possible exception due to extraordinary circumstances. The National Independent Electoral Commission asked the High Constitutional Court to acknowledge the current situation as such.
“the vis major  case is being defined by an extraordinary row of events beyond the involved parties’ control which irresistibly prevents any more proper capitalization of the electoral program” explained the High Constitutional Court. The postponement of the elections, the reshuffle of the Electoral Court, the newly drafted laws, the candidates’ withdrawals and the issue of a new list of candidates are thereupon being held as the concerned extraordinary row of events.
The electoral first round deemed to develop on October 25th is actually no problem. Yet, waiting for May 1st 2014 before tackling its second and final round was off the point from scratch. Publishing the first round’s results is likely to take three weeks, for the collection, cross checking of results from far away stations cannot possibly be completed in one day. The Electoral Court consequently concedes the simultaneous cast of legislative elections and presidential second round beyond November 30th.
Job done for the Special Electoral Court! according to Madagascar’s foreign partners in the run of this electoral process. At once, the ICG-M’s suggestions reported by the SADC and AU led mediation have been capitalized the way they were issued. Joachim Chissano diplomatically welcomed Andry Rajoelina’s contribution to the necessary legal changes, even if the transitional leader has clang to the end to his candidacy, and end translated into an eviction from the Electoral Court.
Mediator Joachim Chissano said to expect Madagascar to recover stability and successful national reconciliation now that the country is heading to elections: “let the Malagasy people now speak out through elections”, he declared. The on going electoral process achieved its first mission by removing the political spheres’ control over the crisis settlement process