The United States and international community are focused on these elections; the world is watching Madagascar.  The U.S. Embassy in Madagascar reports that election day has so far been peaceful with no reported incidents of violence.  However, the polls are only recently closed and ballot counting will be underway throughout the evening.  The United States remains committed to supporting the aspirations of the Malagasy people as they exercise their right to participate in the future of their nation.  However, we are concerned about reports throughout the country which indicate voter turnout has been low.  U.S. Embassy and other international observers will monitor the vote count and continue to watch the process closely.    

 While most voting stations opened on time, we are concerned by the lack of adequate staffing or training for election staff in many locations.  U.S. Embassy and other observers have reported some polling station irregularities, including by political party representatives.  The U.S., other like-minded Embassies, international organizations, and international observers will meet to review and verify information over the coming days and weeks regarding the conduct of elections during voting, counting, and transport of ballots.  Provisional results will be published by the National Independent Elections Commission (CENI) on November 24.  The High Constitutional Court is expected to officially certify the results on November 30.  The international community will continue to monitor the process throughout.  We urge all citizens, political parties, and political candidates to calmly, patiently, and peacefully await official results from the CENI.  Any grievances related to the election should be resolved through Madagascar’s established legal processes.