Marc Ravalomanana, the 69-year-old ex president who spent most of his five years of exile in South Africa, vows to have his revenge against 44-year-old Andry Rajoelina.

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Marc Ravalomanana, who beat all political odds to win Madagascar’s  presidency  in 2002 and retain in four years later, still battles with a reputation for autocracy.

Andry Rajoelina, the coup leader, has to assuage fears that his big money backing  is not from those seeking to rape the island state’s natural resources.

Whoever wins the run-off  presidential election will have his work cut out restoring stability to a country brought to its knees by political turmoil.

The post Battle royal plays out in Madagascar’s run-off election appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

The Indian Ocean island’s constitutional court will now decide whether the decision to dismiss can be enacted.

The US embassy has pledged support for President Hery Rajaonarimampianina.

It’s call on parliament to put the stability of the country first has evidently fallen on deaf ears.

No fewer than 121 of the 125 legislators voted to dismiss, easily clearing the two-thirds majority required.

The result was greeted with applause from many lawmakers, but some alleged the vote had been ridden with irregularities.

Rajaonarimampianina took power in January 2014, ending the crisis caused by the 2009 coup ousting Marc Ravalomanana.

Opponents of the new president, who’s a trained accountant, say he’s has failed to deliver on his economic promises and accuse him of stalling on the establishment of a high court and the implementation of promised reforms.

The post Madagascar parliament votes to sack president appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

The former leader, who spent five years in exile in South Africa after his overthrow in 2009, has not issued any press statement or announced a press conference.

Madagascar President Hery Rajoanarimampiani said he was releasing Marc Ravalomanana as part of the peace process in the island state battling to overcome years of economic isolation as a result of the coup.

His move follows a reconciliation process driven by churches in Madagascar.

Ravalomanana’s staff say he now allowed to move around freely. He was placed under house arrest – ostensibly for his own safety – when he seized the initiative and went home last year.

In doing so he angered both his hosts in South Africa and the new president who won elections at the end of 2013.

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