Who runs local government in Madagascar?
Madagascar's 2010 constitution provides for three levels of decentralised authority (communes, regions and provinces), but only the 1,695 communes, with elected mayors and councils, really function. Regional governors are appointed, and provinces have never been set up. Below the commune, nearly 20,000 fokontany (neighbourhood or village units) organise the fokonolona, the community assembly, which has deep roots in Malagasy custom. Since October 2025 the country has been under a military-led transition.
Republic of Madagascar · Unitary semi-presidential republic (under a military-led transition since October 2025) · Eastern Africa
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Provinces (6) | Not operational | Provided for in the constitution but never set up. |
| Regions (23, 2021 count) | Governors appointed by the Council of Ministers pending regional elections that have never been held | Regional development planning; coordination of deconcentrated services. |
| Districts | District head (chef de district) appointed by the state | Deconcentrated administration; state legality control. |
| Communes (1,695: 76 urban, the rest rural) | Mayor and communal council elected directly | Civil registration, local roads, markets, primary schools and health centres (with state). |
| Fokontany (19,830) | Chef fokontany appointed by the administration, often after local consultation | Basic administrative unit; residence certificates, local security, community meetings. |
Three questions about local power in Madagascar
Are local leaders elected?
Mayors and communal councillors are elected. Governors, district heads and chefs fokontany are appointed. Elders and royal lineages hold status by descent and age.
Which laws set up local government?
Communes, regions and provinces are in the 2010 constitution; the fokonolona and fokontany are mentioned in it; dina are formal once approved. Royal lineages are customary only.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
Voters for communes; ex-post legality control by state representatives and financial courts. Chefs fokontany answer to district heads. Dina can be struck down by courts if they breach the law.
Traditional and customary authority
The constitution describes the fokonolona, the community of residents organised in fokontany, as the basis of development and social cohesion. Communities adopt dina, local customary agreements on matters such as cattle theft, theft and public order, which must be approved by the authorities and courts before they apply. Elders (ray aman-dreny) and, in some regions, royal lineages (mpanjaka, for example among the Sakalava) keep ceremonial and moral authority, especially over ancestral land and tombs, though they have no formal administrative power.
Community and neighbourhood power
The fokonolona assembly and local vigilance committees deal with security in rural areas, especially against cattle raiders (dahalo). Churches (Protestant and Catholic) and community associations are strong.
Points to know
- Madagascar is one of few countries where a traditional community assembly (fokonolona) is written into the constitution.
- Six provinces exist in the constitution but have never operated.
- Dina are useful against cattle theft but have also been criticised when they impose collective punishments.
- The Senate was cut from 63 to 18 members in 2020; two-thirds are elected by regional and communal representatives.
Local terms
- Fokonolona
- The community of residents and their assembly.
- Fokontany
- The smallest administrative unit (village or neighbourhood).
- Dina
- A local customary agreement or by-law approved by the authorities.
Sources
- Madagascar's Constitution of 2010, Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
- Country profile: Madagascar, OECD–UCLG SNG-WOFI, checked 14 October 2026
- UN condemns Madagascar military takeover, urges return to constitutional order (Oct 2025), UN News, checked 14 October 2026
- Secretary-General Condemns Unconstitutional Change of Government in Madagascar (SG/SM/22866), United Nations, checked 14 October 2026
See also: Madagascar's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.