The Independent National Election Commission of the Transition (CENIT), President,Attallah Beatrice has announced that Madagascar will hold presidential elections on May 8, 2013, adding that the second round of presidential elections in Madagascar will be held with the legislatives on July 3, 2013, while the mayors of urban and rural municipalities will be elected simultaneously with municipal councilors on Oct. 23, 2013.

According to the Commission, these dates were decided after a workshop that the CENIT held with international electoral experts who called on politicians and all political actors to respect the laws on elections.

CENIT will also meet with donors to present the budget and necessary resources for elections calling on donors to lift all financial sanctions they took in 2009 because of the political crisis in Madagascar.

Madagascar has been in political crisis since December 2008 following a stalemate between former President Marc Ravalomanana and the transitional president Andry Rajoelina, Mayor of Antananarivo from December 2007 to March 2009 who led a massive protest against Ravalomanana from 2002 to March 2009.

AEP

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