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Madagascar

Republic of Madagascar

French civil law with customary lawSemi-presidential republicReviewed· 2026-08-03
Capital
Antananarivo
Population
30,300,000
Languages
Malagasy, French
Currency
MGA

Madagascar · Government

Government and administration in Madagascar

How the executive, legislature and administrative state are organised, and which body is responsible for what.

The three branches

Head of state — President
Directly elected for five years, renewable once.
Executive — Prime Minister and government
Prime Minister appointed from the Assembly majority; government answerable to it.
Legislature — National Assembly and Senate
Bicameral; the Senate partly indirectly elected and partly appointed.
Judiciary — Conseil Supérieur de la Magistrature
Governs judicial careers and discipline.

How legislation is made

Bills originate with the government or members of either chamber, are examined in committee, and must pass both the National Assembly and the Senate; the Assembly prevails on disagreement. The Haute Cour Constitutionnelle may review a law before promulgation, and organic laws must be referred to it as a matter of course.

Enforcement institutions

Ministère public
Public prosecutors attached to each court, directing criminal investigation.
Police nationale and Gendarmerie nationale
Urban policing and rural/territorial policing respectively.
Bianco (Bureau Indépendant Anti-Corruption)
Independent anti-corruption investigator.
Pôles anti-corruption
Specialised anti-corruption court chambers.

Government bodies and regulators

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