Madagascar’s electoral court declared former finance minister Hery Rajaonarimampianina president-elect on Friday despite allegations by his defeated rival that the December run-off vote was rigged. The ruling raises the specter of protests by supporters of Jean Louis Robinson who had demanded a recount and warned on Thursday that his patience was wearing thin. Any prolonged row over the result of the Dec. 20 vote, the first since a coup on the Indian Ocean island in 2009, threatens to extend a political crisis that has sharply slowed economic growth and deepened poverty. An aide to Robinson, who was backed by Marc Ravalomanana, the man ousted from power five years ago, this week said he would outline the “irregularities” to the Southern African Development Community and African Union. Both blocs had worked on a political deal to push Madagascar towards an election.
The electoral court said Rajaonarimampianina won 53.5 percent of the vote to Robinson’s 46.5 percent, confirming the electoral commission’s provisional results.
There was no immediate reaction from Robinson, who a day earlier said: “We are ready to defend the choice of the people until the end.”
Robinson’s ally, Roland Ravatomanga, a minister in the power-sharing government, said: “We will only stop when Jean Louis Robinson is installed as president.”
Full Article: allAfrica.com: Madagascar Court Confirms President-Elect.
