Madagascar will hold a referendum in June 2027, followed by a presidential election in October the same year, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) announced.

CENI chairman Thierry Rakotonarivo gave the provisional timeline after new electoral commissioners were sworn in at the Supreme Court in the capital, Antananarivo. Local media outlets report that he said the update of the national voter register is expected to be completed by April 25, 2027, allowing the two votes to proceed as planned.

The schedule offers the clearest indication yet of plans to end the country’s transition period under the government’s Programme for the Refounding of the Republic. That roadmap had previously suggested the referendum would take place between May and July 2027, with the presidential election between September and November, and a possible second-round runoff in December.

October 2027 will mark two years since the military assumed power, ousting President Andry Rajoelina following youth-led protests over poverty, corruption, and power outages.

Rakotonarivo said voter registration updates would begin in June once technical preparations are completed, and that revising the electoral roll is seen as a key first step before either vote can be organised.

However, the timetable remains subject to change as Madagascar prepares for national consultations on political reforms and electoral governance. Some groups have called for the dissolution of several institutions, including the electoral commission, parliament, and the constitutional court.

The consultations are also expected to address which body should oversee future elections and which judicial authority should handle election disputes and officially declare results.

Any major changes to the current electoral system or institutions would require legal reforms, and some measures could require constitutional amendments. Analysts say this could complicate or delay the planned timetable.