In Madagascar, the ministerial appointment process is taking an unprecedented technological turn. Colonel Michaël Randrianirina , the Head of State, announced that every candidate for government positions will now have to undergo a polygraph test (lie detector) before being interviewed. This initiative, presented as a guarantee of integrity, has deeply divided public opinion.

A technological filter to guarantee integrity

During a meeting in Anosy last Thursday, the President justified the delay in forming the new government by citing this new selection procedure. The traditional background check by the CIS (Central Intelligence Service) is no longer in place; foreign specialists are now conducting these tests at the Presidency.

The stated objective is clear: to filter profiles from the outset.

1. The success threshold: Only candidates achieving positive results will be received by the President and the Prime Minister.
2. The ambition: To achieve at least 60% integrity in public management in order to transform the country.
3. The future: If the experiment is successful, the test could be extended to the annual evaluation of all senior officials.

The four-step selection process

In response to criticism, the Presidency of the Refoundation clarified the required path for aspiring ministers:

1. Technical assessment: Review of skills and experience.
2. Ethical commitment: Signing of a letter of commitment and declaration of assets.
3. Background check: Classic investigation into prior history.
4. Polygraph test: Final step before the final interview.

A reliability that is debatable

Despite official rhetoric advocating the "Refounding of the Republic," the use of the polygraph is far from being unanimously accepted. On social media, reactions range from mockery to skepticism .

"Knowing how to choose one's collaborators on a moral level should be an intrinsic quality of a leader," one internet user points out.

The main point of contention remains the fallibility of the device . The polygraph measures physiological reactions (heart rate, sweating, respiration) related to stress. However, science agrees that an honest person can be stressed, while a trained liar can manipulate their answers.

By admitting last February, in front of the diaspora in Paris, his difficulty in finding truly honest collaborators, Colonel Randrianirina seems to have opted for technology to compensate for human failings. It remains to be seen whether this "electronic truth" will be enough to establish trust within the state apparatus.