and a trend towards the increasing pauperization of a good part of the population were factors that weighed heavily on the Government. Poverty had had deepened and unemployment had risen, whfle the main social indicators In spite of these difficulties, fallen and delinquency was on the increase. all the elections planned had been organized in a multi-party political atmosphere. The Government had also proposed a revision of the Constitution, including a reference to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the repeal of article 108 dealing with the socialist form of the State, The combination of the Charter of the Malagasy Socialist Revolution and the Constitution was an outmoded concept and was not embodied in any of the constitutional drafts under consideration. The Charter was an historical document defining a programme and principles whose socialist connotation had emerged from the traditional structures of Malagasy society. The programme resulted in cumbersome and ineffective administration, which everyone wished to see simplified. problems . * . ahahtof self -deter-mLuu 531. With reference to that issue , members of the Committee wished to know what was meant by “direct administration” in paragraph 62 of the report. Additional information was requested with regard,to the Government’s position regarding recent changes in South Africa: the ethnic and community structure of Madagascar: the expected effects of the new policy of decentralization, particularly on the highly centralized system of administration inherited from colonial times; the possible organization of new elections in Madagascar in the near future: the implementation of the right to and, more generally, self-determination in the light of article 12 of the Constitution. 532. In his reply, the representative of the State party explained that the expression “direct administration” designated the colonial administration imposed by France after 1896. The 1975 Constitution had inaugurated decentralization by assigning broader functions to the local communities. The purpose of these measures had been to eliminate the vestiges of colonial administration and of the feudal system by enabling the population to decide its own form of administrative organi5ation. This decentralization had been the subject of sharp criticism and new forms of organization were under consideration. During the 1989 elections, the President of the Republic had been elected by 52 per cent of the votes cast, but the legitimacy of the result had been challenged. The question of the revision of the electoral system was under consideration and new elections would logically be organised later. 533. With regard to relations with South Africa, he emphasized that Madagascar had always defended the rights of the black population of South Africa and had employed all possible means to assist the national liberation movements. In view of recent developments in South Africa, Madagascar had decided, after consultation with the African National Congress, to resume direct relations pending a decision of the Organization of African Unity regarding the re-establishment of diplomatic relations. the SW 534. In connection with that issue, members of the Committee wished to receive information on remaining areas of discrimin:tion on the basis of sex, in -131-