Keen interest in legislative poll

Madagascar will host legislative elections on Wednesday, six months after Andry Rajoelina secured a third presidential term in an election marred by a low turnout and an opposition boycott. This time around, according to Madagascar's Independent National Electoral Commission, there is an increase of 5.32% registered voters – an increase of 587 320 voters from November's 11.6m. News24 reports that the electoral body said 12m ballot papers were printed for the plebiscite. The ruling Tanora Malagasy Vonona goes into this election with a majority in Parliament, where it won 84 out of 151 seats in the last election. Groupe Parlementaire uni pour la République (was the second most popular with 18 seats, followed by Tiako I Madagasikara with 11 seats. Numerous smaller parties have one seat each. An AU Election Observation Mission is already in the country, led by Karine Kakasi Siaba, head of the AU’s Democracy and Elections Unit at the AU.