• Live
    • Audio Only
  • google plus
  • facebook
  • twitter
News > World

Madagascar Court Declares New President Amid Fraud Allegations

  • Madagascar presidential candidate Andry Rajoelina addresses the media outside a polling center after casting his ballot during the presidential election in Madagascar Dec 19, 2018.

    Madagascar presidential candidate Andry Rajoelina addresses the media outside a polling center after casting his ballot during the presidential election in Madagascar Dec 19, 2018. | Photo: Reuters

Published 8 January 2019
Opinion

Madagascar Court declared new President even though opposition leader tried to block it by accusing the winner of electoral fraud. 

Madagascar’s High Constitutional Court declared former leader Andry Rajoelina as the president of the country following a scandal-plagued presidential election.

RELATED:

DR Congo Still Counting Votes After Disputed Elections

The court Tuesday said that Rajoelina won with more than 55 percent votes after the elections last month. Also, former President Marc Ravalomanana, who was ousted by Rajoelina in 2009, scored around 44 percent of the votes.

Madagascar’s electoral authority was charged to put off declaring the results citing complaint from Ravalomanana who denounced the runoff results alleging fraud during election day and vote-counting.

He filed more than 200 petitions and complaints. His supporters also protested for days.

“Fraud and violence have prevailed and this has an impact on the results. The results of this election are not credible and the election is not transparent,” Ravalomanana added in a statement. “I have noticed massive fraud. There are electoral cards that are fake,” Ravalomanana told AFP

Ravalomanana quit his presidency in 2009 under pressure after challenges from Rajoelina who was backed by the military.

Amid Ravalomanana ’s allegations of "massive fraud" and insistence that the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) and the High Constitutional Court (HCC) to recount the ballots, Rajoelina had planned a swearing-in ceremony to be held on Jan. 7, 2019.

“It is true that I said that I will respect the results if the rules are respected. Unfortunately, it is not the case,” Ravalomanana said after elections, calling on his supporters “whose rights have been violated, to stand up and defend their choices.”

The Indian Ocean island nation with a population of around 25 million people is one of Africa's poorest. About 80 percent of the population lives on less than US$2 per day.

Comment
0
Comments
Post with no comments.