Madagascar’s President and presidential candidate Andry Rajoelina is flanked by his wife Mialy Rajoelina as he casts his vote at a polling station during the presidential election in Ambatobe, Antananarivo, Madagascar, November 16, 2023. Portal/Zo Andrianjafy/ File Photo Acquisition of a license rights
ANTANANARIVO, Dec 1 (Portal) – Madagascar incumbent Andry Rajoelina was declared the winner by the country’s Supreme Constitutional Court on Friday of the Nov. 16 election. The country’s Supreme Constitutional Court granted him a third term after rejecting various challenges to the preliminary results.
“Andry Rajoelina is elected President of the Republic of Madagascar and will assume office as soon as the swearing-in takes place,” said court head Florent Rakotoarisoa. He received 58.96% of the votes cast, the court said.
Among the rejected appeals to the Electoral College’s preliminary count was one of the runners-up, MP Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko. According to the court, he received 14.39% of the vote.
Ten out of 13 candidates boycotted the election, but their names were already on the ballot, so they could share the rest of the votes cast.
“The election was peaceful and it is proof that democracy in Madagascar and the Malagasy people have reached political maturity,” Rajoelina told reporters outside the courtroom.
“There will be some changes, but you don’t change a winning team,” he said.
November’s elections were preceded by weeks of protests in which the opposition accused Rajoelina of creating unfair voting conditions and voter turnout was less than 50%.
Rajoelina rejected allegations that the vote was unfair and the army warned against attempts to destabilize the country.
Nine foreign embassies, including the United States, the United Kingdom and European Union countries, issued a joint statement “noting” the final results.
“Given the tensions and incidents that characterized the electoral process and the tense political context, it is now up to the newly elected head of state, together with all stakeholders in the country, to take measures to restore trust conducive to dialogue,” the embassies said.
The US State Department later said the electoral process “raised some serious concerns that must be addressed for the peace and future well-being of the nation.”
The opposition said the voter turnout of 46.35% was the lowest in the country’s history.
Hajo Andrianainarivelo, a former minister among the candidates who boycotted the election, has vowed to fight against what he said was a lack of respect for the country’s laws and oppression of the people.
“The people’s struggle begins now,” he said on Thursday.
Rajoelina, 49, first came to power in a coup in 2009. He stepped down as head of an interim authority in 2014, but then became president again after winning an election in 2018.
Reporting by Lovasoa Rabary, Writing by Bhargav Acharya, Editing by Hereward Holland, Frances Kerry and Sandra Maler
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