Madagascar: Top Court Confirms President's Re-election

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Facts

  • Following judicial claims concerning the credibility of Madagascar's election earlier this month, the country's Constitutional Court ruled on Friday that incumbent Pres. Andry Rajoelina has won his third term in office.1
  • Court chair Florent Rakotoarisoa announced that Rajoelina won 58.96% of the vote from a 46.35% voter turnout. Second-place Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, who himself had a legal challenge dismissed, received 14.39% of the vote, according to the court.2
  • Rajoelina first served as president of a provisional government between 2009 and 2014. Following a national coup, he won his first election of the new government in 2019.3
  • The Nov. 16 election had been delayed by one week due to a series of protests against the president by the country's opposition. The elections also saw 10 out of 13 presidential candidates withdraw from the race and urging supporters not to vote due to credibility concerns.4
  • Although he didn't comment on the matter following the judiciary's conclusion, Rajoelina stated earlier that Madagascar had voted for 'the path of continuity, serenity and stability.' Army chief Michel Andriamasimanana has also announced that the military was committed to respecting the result of the election.5

Sources: 1BBC News, 2Reuters, 3ABC News, 4Africa News and 5Barron's.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by ISS Africa. Rajoelina continues to wield an arbitrary and extremely personal use of power in Madagascar, unchecked by his judicial appointees and parliament in what is little more than a rubber-stamping exercise. The Malagasy have lost faith in their own country, which continues to reside within unstable social and economic conditions while bearing the brunt of climate change.
  • Narrative B, as provided by The Conversation. There's no surprise in the court's confirmation of Madagascar's election results. Having gained a clear majority of nearly 60%, the decision should have never been in doubt, with the allegations only serving to risk a political crisis. With likeness to the reaction following Rajoelina's previous electoral victory, there's insufficient evidence for the accusations of the opposition to be deemed true.