RUNDU – Hery Rajaonarimampianina, the winner of the presidential election in Madagascar is disputing the recently released provisional election results, because “he feels he obtained more votes” than those released.
“The winning candidate feels he obtained more votes, therefore he is also disputing Friday’s outcome,” Ambassador Tuliameni Kalomoh told New Era yesterday from Okanghudi in the Ohangwena Region where he accompanied former president of Mozambique, Joachim Chissano, who is the head mediator of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) on Madagascar.
The two travelled to the north to brief President Hifikepunye Pohamba on the election in Madagascar. Accompanying them are representatives of former president Marc Ravalomanana, who was ousted in a 2009 power grab. Kalomoh and his party arrived in Namibia from Madagascar on Monday and will be heading back to the island nation today to oversee the electoral process at the behest of SADC. Namibia has assigned Ambassador Kalomoh to Madagascar to head the SADC Liaison Office in order to assist that country in the process of returning to the fold of the regional grouping, which had sanctioned Madagascar by suspending its membership following the 2009 political power grab.
Madagascar released the provisional election results for the country’s 20 December presidential run-off, which declared Rajaonarimampianina, the country’s former finance minister, as the country’s head of state for the next five years. It was only the opposing parties that initially disputed the outcome, but now the winning candidate has also joined the disputing camp.
While proclaiming the provisional results of Madagascar’s presidential run-off election last week Friday in Antananarivo, the electoral commission of that country announced that Rajaonarimampianina, won 53.5 percent of the vote. His opponent, Robinson Jean Louis won 46.5 percent, but is calling for a recount. “As I speak we are in Okangudhi, we came to brief President Pohamba with regard to the situation in Madagascar. As SADC we are very happy, because the situation in Madagascar is very peaceful and all the candidates have vowed not to engage in any violence,” he said.
“After the results were released last Friday, the two-week validation process is now in motion as stipulated by the laws of Madagascar. The good thing is that all the candidates have agreed to respect the final outcome,” Kalomoh pointed out.
The final results will be made public after the provisional results have been validated. Only then, says Kalomoh, will an inauguration date be set. Kalomoh will be in Madagascar until the entire electoral process, which includes the inauguration of the new president and the formation of a new government, is completed. Political experts say the disputes have the potential to dent the credibility of the electoral commission in Madagascar. Many of the Malagasy people have their fingers crossed hoping that the political quagmire they found themselves stuck in following the 2009 coup does not resurface.
By Mathias Haufiku