Madagascar imposed a curfew on Wednesday, November 15 in the capital, Antananarivo, applicable the night before the first round of the presidential election, which will be held in a tense context after a call for a boycott by the main opposition figures. Eleven million registered voters are called to the polls on Thursday to choose their next president. Polling stations open at 6 a.m. (4 a.m. CST).
After already a month and a half of demonstrations in the streets of Antananarivo at the call of the opposition, the prefect of the capital, General Angelo Ravelonarivo, denounced “acts of sabotage” on Wednesday.
“Faced with the various acts of sabotage which took place” Tuesday evening, “I will issue a decree shortly establishing a curfew from 9 p.m. until 4 a.m.,” he announced during a press conference shortly before the publication of the text. Referring to the “burning of a voting office” and “the destruction of various electoral materials”, the prefect warned against actions leading to possible arrests with “aggravating circumstances during this electoral period”.
Thirteen candidates are in the running, including outgoing President Andry Rajoelina, 49. Ten opposition candidates gathered in a collective, including former presidents Hery Rajaonarimampianina and Marc Ravalomanana, called on voters on Tuesday not to vote.
The opposition contests the eligibility of the incumbent
“We reject Thursday’s election and we call on all Malagasy people to consider that this election does not exist,” declared candidate and opponent Hajo Andrianainarivelo, 56, on behalf of the collective. “We appeal to everyone not to vote,” added another candidate, Roland Ratsiraka, 57, denouncing a “deception.”
The members of the collective refused to campaign while the government candidate, who is betting on a victory in the first round, has in recent weeks rallied thousands of supporters in the four corners of the country where he has gone by helicopter or by private plane. Opponents are contesting Rajoelina’s eligibility after a recent scandal surrounding his dual nationality and are calling for a suspension of the electoral process.
The press revealed in June that the outgoing head of state had discreetly acquired French nationality in 2014. According to the opposition, he therefore lost his Malagasy nationality and cannot be a candidate. The courts, however, rejected appeals calling for an invalidation of his candidacy.
“Concern” of the EU and the United States
The opposition denounced “an institutional coup” aimed at ensuring the re-election of Andry Rajoelina. Demanding intervention from the international community, the collective announced its intention to continue protests in the coming days. Until now, however, the demonstrations regularly dispersed with tear gas have not been able to count on the support of barely a few hundred participants. The government condemned a “desire to overthrow power”, accusing the opposition of “threatening the stability of the country”.
Independent since 1960, the former French colony, which is among the poorest countries in the world, has rarely experienced an election without a military transition or protest. Opponents also denounce irregularities in the organization of the vote, particularly on the electoral lists. They speak of the existence of “thousands of fictitious polling stations”.
The vote, initially scheduled for November 9, was postponed for a week last month following the injury of a candidate during a demonstration. The United States and the European Union expressed their “concern” and denounced a disproportionate use of force against the opposition. Elected in 2018, Andry Rajoelina came to power in 2009 thanks to a mutiny which ousted Marc Ravalomanana.
