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A collective of opposition candidates taking part in the Madagascan presidential elections has held a major rally in the capital, Antananarivo, denouncing the electoral system, which they allege is illegitimate. It is reported that 11 opposition parties took part in the demonstration, which was attended by over 50,000 people.
A collective of opposition candidates taking part in the Madagascan presidential elections has held a major rally in the capital, Antananarivo, denouncing the electoral system, which they allege is illegitimate. It is reported that 11 opposition parties took part in the demonstration, which was attended by over 50,000 people.
The opposition parties say the electoral process is being orchestrated to ensure the victory of outgoing President Andry Rajoelina, who is standing for re-election. Last month the Constitutional Court dismissed appeals to have Rajoelina’s candidacy declared void over his dual French nationality, sparking opposition anger.
With less than a month before the polls, opposition candidates are taking part in almost daily unauthorized protest marches in the capital. The president of Madagascar’s national assembly, Christine Razanamahasoa, who is close to the government, said that the country was “at an impasse. Razanamahasoa warned that the seeds of a fratricidal war are visible and continue to grow and said she would go where there will be a way out of the crisis in the supreme interest of the nation. Others close to Rajoelina have also begun to urge conciliation.
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Opposition MPs have also called for the resignation of the prime minister, Christian Ntsay, an ally of Rajoelina who has been put in charge of a disputed interim government ahead of the election period. The position should normally have been held by the president of the Senate who declined for “personal reasons”. Voters were initially due to head to the polls on 9 November, but the country’s top court last week ordered that the elections be postponed by one week to 16 November. Representatives of the EU, the US, and several other countries and international organizations have issued a statement saying they were watching the election run-up with the greatest vigilance.
