The Executive Branch adopted an order in the Council of Ministers on Friday, March 20, 2026. It introduces changes to the mandate of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP). This order instructs the CEP to “take the necessary measures for the implementation of Articles 12 and 14 of the National Pact for Stability and the Organization of Elections.” These two articles concern “limited changes to the basic law” and the “popular ratification” of these changes during the first round of elections.

According to a source at the CEP, this new order will have implications for the electoral calendar, the electoral decree, and the operations budget. “The CEP will have to work on a new electoral decree. The calendar will also be modified. For now, we cannot say whether voters will be called to register starting April 1, 2026, as planned,” the source told Le Nouvelliste.