Madagascar’s electoral commission (CENI) is ready to conduct a credible presidential election, the authority said on Tuesday.
The island nation located to the southeast coast of Africa will hold its 10th presidential poll on Wednesday 7 November, with four of the five most recent Presidents included in the race.
36 candidates will be on the ballot, a record number for the country that has a population of nearly 26 million people. The country’s last presidential election attracted 33 candidates.
Around ten million people are registered to vote in the Wednesday election, though election turnout is not expected to hit high figures due to towering poverty levels.
Speaking to CGTN Africa on Tuesday, CENI official spokesperson Razafindraibe Ernest said he was confident the authority will conduct a credible poll.
“We have conducted trainings and civic education for each polling station. We are ready to conduct the elections,” Ernest said.
Razafindraibe’s sentiments were echoed by CENI’s head of ICT, Heriniaina Rakotovao, who said the commission was adequately prepared despite time constraints and the high number of candidates running for the presidency.
“We can say that CENi is technically ready for tomorrow,” he said. “It has been a challenge for us with the 36 candidates especially because of time constraints, but we have planned it the best way we could to have an efficient election,” he said.
Despite heading to the poll considered by many as important for the country’s future, Malagasy people do not seem to be excited about the vote.
On the eve of the election, there was almost no election feel on the streets of the capital Antananarivo, as citizens went about their daily chores as usual.
Expectations are however high among the Malagasy people, as they hope their new leader will ensure better security, provide jobs and oversee infrastructural development in the island.
According to Razafindraibe, provisional results will be announced within 12 days, with an official announcement made within 9 days after the provisional results are out.
