2013 Madagascar Presidential Election Friday Oct 25,2013

The Presidential and Parliamentary Elections is scheduled to be held in Madagascar on October 25,2013 (presidential, first round) and December 20,2013 (parliamentary and presidential run-off)

Background

• The last elected president,Marc Ravalomanana was unconstitutionally removed from power by a mass protests led by then-mayor of Antananarivo,Andry Rajoelina in early 2009. 

• Andry Rajoelina dissolved the Senate and National Assembly in March 2009 and took power as the president of the High Transitional Authority (HAT) he created to govern the country in the lead up to elections, which he promised to hold within 18 months. The HAT repeatedly delayed the parliamentary and presidential elections, which were scheduled separately for various dates before finally being merged in May 2011 and postponed to September 2011, May 2012, November 2012, May 2013, July 2013 and August 2013 

• The 2010 Constitutional Referendum  introduced a new constitution that barred candidates who had not lived in Madagascar for the previous six months, effectively excluding opposition leaders living in exile, including Ravalomanana, who has resided in South Africa since the coup.

• The international community has been actively involved in negotiating an end to the political impasse in Madagascar and have maintained legitimate and transparent elections as a precondition to international recognition of Madagascar's Head of State

• In January 2013 Andry Rajoelina and Marc Ravalomanana both agreed not to stand in the polls, as per a plan by the Southern African Development Community(SADC),a regional bloc that Madagascar belongs to

• The first round of election was set to take place in July 2013 but was pushed back to August because Marc Ravalomanana's wife and former first lady, Lalao - and then Andry Rajoelina himself - decided to run, prompting donors to suspend financing for the poll.

• Andry Rajoelina and Lalao Ravalomanana were then barred from standing and the electoral court also struck former President Didier Ratsiraka from the list of candidates after the three refused to withdraw

• The electoral commission then set the elections for  Oct 25,2013

Presidential Candidates
The 33 approved candidates include the following -

• Clement Zafisolo Ravalisaona
• Hery Martial Rajaonarimampianina Rakotoarimanana
• Roland Dieu Donne Rabeharison (also called Vahombey)
• Iarovana Roland Ratsiraka
• Hajo Herivelona Andrianainarivelo
• Fetison Andrianirina Rakoto
• Brigitte Ihantanirina Rabemananantsoa
• Andriamparany Benjamin Radavidson
• Albert Camille Vital
• Jean Pierre Rakoto
• Mickaël Brechard Dofo
• Joseph Martin Randriamampionona
• Patrick Ratsimba Rajaonary
• Saraha Georget Rabeharisoa
• Freddy Tinason
• Laza Razafiarison
• Roindefo Zafitsimivalo Monja
• Djacoba Alain Tehindrazanarivelo
• Rajemison Rakotomaharo
• Jean Lahiniriko
• Jean Eugene Voninahitsy
• Pierrot Jocelyn Rajaonarivelo
• Tabera Randriamanantsoa
• William Ratrema
• Jean-Louis Richard Robinson
• Edgard Marie Noe Razafindravahy
• Venance Patrick Raharimanana
• Guy Ratrimoarivony
• Julien Razafinmanazato
• Faharo Ratsimbalson
• Willy Sylvain Rabetsaroana
• William Noelson
• Fleury Rabarison Lezava

The two front-runners are -

• Hery Martial Rakotoarimanana Rajaonarimampianina and 

• Richard Jean-Louis Robinson

are both pledging to rebuild Madagascar's economy

Supporters of  Hery Martial Rakotoarimanana Rajaonarimampianina holds a flag with his portrait during the last campaign rally  in Antananarivo on Oct 23,2013

 Marc Ravalomanana's wife and former first lady, Lalao attending the rally of Richard Jean-Louis Robinson  in Antananarivo on Oct 23,2013

The Presidential Election will be run by the Independent National Electoral Commission of the Transition (Cenit) - an independent electoral body funded by the United Nations

Madagascar is the world's fourth biggest island after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo
Because of its isolation most of its mammals, half its birds, and most of its plants exist nowhere else on earth.
Cenit says there are 7,697,382 registered voters and 20,115 polling stations in Madagascar, a country the size of France with a scattered population

No firm date has been set to announce the results but if no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes cast, a second round will be held on Dec 20,2013 along with the parliamentary elections

 Madagascar Votes for New President
A Voter Casts her Vote at the polling station in Antananarivo on Oct 25,2013
 

International observers have described Madagascar's presidential election as free and transparent, as results slowly come through.

Friday's poll was the first to be held on the island since a coup in 2009.
Preliminary results show that an ally of the ousted leader Marc Ravalomanana has taken an early lead.
Richard Jean-Louis Robinson has about 30% of the votes so far, while his main rival Hery Martial Rakotoarimanana Rajaonarimampianina has just over 15%.
Full results cold take as long as a week to emerge.
If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes cast, a second round will be held on Dec 20,2013

2013 Madagascar Presidential Run-Off FridayDec 20,2013

Voters in Madagascar are taking part in a second round of a presidential election, after October's round failed to produce an outright winner
There are 7,697,382 registered voters and 20,115 polling stations in Madagascar, a country the size of France with a scattered population.
Friday's poll will also elect 151 lawmakers for a five-year term. The first task of the new MPs will be to nominate a prime minister
The polls are being organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission of the Transition (Cenit) - an independent electoral body funded by the  UN

Note
Madagascar was plunged into political turmoil in 2009, when Andry Rajoelina overthrew Marc Ravalomanana's democratically-elected government
The election is aimed at ending a four-year political deadlock