At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Madagascar

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Marc RAVALOMANANA
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Jacques SYLLA
• Assembly: Madagascar has a bicameral Legislature consisting of the Senate (Sénat) with 90 seats and the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) with 160 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 5-year term.
• The Prime Minister is appointed by the President.
• In the Senate (Sénat), 60 members are indirectly elected by regions to serve 5-year terms and 30 members are appointed by the President to serve 5-year terms. In the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale), 115 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms and 12 members are elected by single non-transferable vote to serve 5-year terms.**

** The 12 seats elected under SNTV are from two-member constituencies.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Marc RAVALOMANANA
  • Party: I Love Madagascar / (TIM)
• Jean LAHINIRIKO
  • Party: Democratic Party for Union in Madagascar / (PSDUM)
• Iarovana Roland RATSIRAKA
  • Independent(s)
• Herizo Jossicher RAZAFIMAHALEO
  • Party: Economic Liberalism and Democratic Action for National Recovery / (LEADER/Fanilo)
• Norbert Lala RATSIRAHONANA
  • Party: Judged By Your Work Party / Asa Vita no Ifampitsarana (AVI)
• Ny Hasina ANDRIAMANJATO
  • Independent(s)
• Pety RAKOTONIAINA
  • Party: Union / Tambatra
• Elia RAVELOMANANTSOA
  • Party: Our Madagascar
• 6 Others
  • Independent(s): N/A

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 18,595,469 (July 2006 est.)
• Registered Voters: 7,317,790 (December 2006)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 8,152,417 (2001)

·         Is Madagascar a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Madagascar ratified CEDAW: Yes (17 March 1989)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 12 (following the 1998 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 154 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Madagascar a signatory to CRPD: Yes (25 September 2007)

·         Has Madagascar ratified CRPD: Yes (12 June 2015)

·         Population with a disability: 2,435,365 (est.)