A source within the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) told Le Nouvelliste that the executive branch adopted, in the Council of Ministers on Friday, March 20, 2026, a decree modifying the mandate of the Provisional Electoral Council. This decree asks 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 fundamental law” and the “popular ratification” of these changes during the first round of the elections.

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