▁de emed ▁fair ▁and ▁transparent . ▁ ▁Government ▁ ▁Str ucture ▁ ▁Mad agas car ▁is ▁a ▁semi - pres ident ial ▁representative ▁dem ocr atic ▁multi - party ▁republic , ▁where in ▁the ▁popular ly ▁elected ▁president ▁is ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁state ▁and ▁selects ▁a ▁prime ▁minister , ▁who ▁recomm ends ▁candidates ▁to ▁the ▁president ▁to ▁form ▁his ▁cabinet ▁of ▁minister s . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁constitution , ▁executive ▁power ▁is ▁exerc ised ▁by ▁the ▁government ▁while ▁legisl ative ▁power ▁is ▁v ested ▁in ▁the ▁minister ial ▁cabinet , ▁the ▁Senate ▁and ▁the ▁National ▁Assembly , ▁although ▁in ▁reality ▁these ▁two ▁latter ▁bodies ▁have ▁very ▁little ▁power ▁or ▁legisl ative ▁role . ▁The ▁constitution ▁establish es ▁independent ▁executive , ▁legisl ative ▁and ▁jud icial ▁branches ▁and ▁mand ates ▁a ▁popular ly ▁elected ▁president ▁limited ▁to ▁three ▁five - year ▁terms . ▁ ▁The ▁public ▁directly ▁elect s ▁the ▁president ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 2 7 ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Assembly ▁to ▁five - year ▁terms . ▁All ▁ 3 3 ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Senate ▁serve ▁six - year ▁terms , ▁with ▁ 2 2 ▁sen ators ▁elected ▁by ▁local ▁officials ▁and ▁ 1 1 ▁appointed ▁by ▁the ▁president . ▁The ▁last ▁National ▁Assembly ▁election ▁was ▁held ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁and ▁the ▁last ▁Senate ▁election ▁was ▁held ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁local ▁level , ▁the ▁island ' s ▁ 2 2 ▁provinces ▁are ▁admin ister ed