Rajoelina re-elected president in Madagascar
Despite an opposition boycott, President Andry Rajoelina has been re-elected in the south-east African island state of Madagascar.
Rajoelina received 58.95 percent of the vote and will therefore run for a second five-year term in office, the national electoral commission announced. Opposition candidates Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, Marc Ravalomanana and Sendrison Raderanirina followed with 14.4 percent, 12.1 percent and 0.8 percent respectively.
Ten other opposition candidates had called on their supporters to stay away from the vote on November 16 - although they were listed on the ballot papers that had already been printed. Nevertheless, according to the electoral commission, there was a voter turnout of just over 46%. All twelve opposition candidates stayed away from the announcement of the election results on Saturday morning in the capital Antananarivo.
Accusation of having bribed the electoral commission
The opposition in the country of 25 million inhabitants, known for its vanilla, accuses Rajoelina of trying to hold on to power by illegal means. It accuses Rajoelina of having bribed the Constitutional Court and the electoral commission in order to strengthen his election campaign. Before the election, there were repeated protest marches by the opposition, some of which were violently broken up by the police. The United Nations has expressed concern about the deteriorating human rights situation in the Indian Ocean country.
The results of Rajoelina's term of office are inadequate: in the past five years, poverty has risen and the level of education has fallen. The supply of electricity and drinking water has also deteriorated.
Despite the opposition's allegations of bribery towards the electoral commission, President Andry Rajoelina's re-election in Madagascar's elections stands, as he secured a significant majority of votes. The opposition, including candidates Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, Marc Ravalomanana, and Sendrison Raderanirina, strongly protested and accused Rajoelina of illegally trying to maintain his power.
Source: www.dpa.com
