Blog 54_Politics is easy to understand

I have never read the constitution of my own country. I try not to judge myself too harshly on this: the wordings are too complicated and well, it's long! And I bet this problem is universial.

Recently, the officials of Madagascar has come up with a solution: why not explain in with cartoon drawings?

The cartoon features images of locations where lives of normal citizens take place, such as bus stations. The idea aims at raising awareness of the changes in the country's constitution and engaging citizens, especially young people, to deepen their understanding of politics in the country.

Tahina Ramaromandray, a resident interviewed by the BBC, admitted that the cartoon book "did give young people a chance to develop their own understanding of their rights as Malagasy citizens."

"I'm not saying that I understand [the constitution] fully, but at least I got the points, the key points," he said.

"And as a citizen I think it's very important. In the end we as Malagasy people, and we as taxpayers, we do not often realise that we have so much powers. Until you read this book you never know that. So I'm really happy."

Although the idea of the project is to convey, simply, the changes of the constitution, it is difficult to explain the alternations if the country changes its constitution with every change of government. For instance, work started last year but before it was completed, there was a military-backed coup and the constitution was to be rewritten. Yet, the core of the constitution remains more or less the same.

"For example, the constitution talks of the unity of the state - and that is the same in the text for the first republic, the second republic and the third republic." Mr Jean Amie Raveloson, the head of the project explained.