2007 Malagasy constitutional referendum explained

Date:4 April 2007
Country:Madagascar
Do you accept this draft revision of the Constitution for rapid and sustainable development by region, in order to improve the standard of living of Malagasy people?
Yes:2,378,650
No:779,092
Invalid:66,346
Electorate:7,381,091

A constitutional referendum was held in Madagascar on 4 April 2007.[1] The proposed changes, which voters were asked to approve or reject as a whole,[2] included:

Early results, with 73.18% of the vote counted, showed that turnout was around 42.43%. The referendum appeared likely to be passed because 74.93% of the voters in Antananarivo were in favour of the amendments, even though it seemed likely that in four of the five other provinces the "no" vote might have won.[4] According to results released on 7 April, with votes from 85.47% of polling stations counted, 75.24% were in favor of the proposed changes. Roland Ratsiraka, who placed third in the 2006 presidential election and opposed the proposed changes, alleged fraud.[5]

Official results were released on 11 April, but it was necessary for the Constitutional High Court to validate the results in order for them to be final,[6] and this happened on 27 April.[7]

The Judged By Your Work Party (AVI) chose to boycott the referendum, saying that it was deceitful for the referendum to describe a "yes" vote as being a vote for national development.[8]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.hcc.gov.mg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=107&Itemid=41 "Arrêt n°01-HCC/AR du 27 avril 2007 portant proclamation des résultats officiels du référendum du 4 avril 2007 relatif à la révision de la Constitution."
  2. Web site: EISA . EISA . 2016-09-25 . 2017-02-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080828215517/http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/mad2007results.htm . 2008-08-28 .
  3. http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?reg_id=0&art_cle=36041 "Référendum à Madagascar: le oui mène largement (deux-tiers des bureaux)"
  4. http://english.people.com.cn/200704/07/eng20070407_364472.html "Initial result shows "Yes" to revision of constitution in Madagascar"
  5. http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_afrique/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=AFP85427lesmatnedis0 "Les Malgaches disent "oui" au renforcement des pouvoirs du président"
  6. http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_afrique/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=AFP50937deouilennoi0 "75,38% de oui au référendum constitutionnel"
  7. http://www.afriqueouest.info/central.php?o=2&s=419&d=3&i=227 "Validation du OUI au référendum"
  8. Iloniaina Alain, "Référendum constitutionnel; L'Avi choisit le boycott", L'Express de Madagascar, March 23, 2007 .