He supports national reconciliation, socio economic development and a lasting political solution in that country laid low by instability.

President Cyril Ramaphosa wishes President Elect Andry Rajoelina well in his term as the president of Madagascar. 

He praises both Rajoelina and Marc Ravalomanana, who contested the runoff presidential election, for working together in ensuring that the interests of the people of Madagascar come first by accepting the run-off results.

The South African government notes with satisfaction a report by the SADC Election Observer Mission comprising of observers from South Africa that the election was orderly and  professionally conducted  within the requirements of the legal framework of Madagascar.

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With more than 90% of the votes counted, he trails Andry Rajoelina who ousted him a 2009 coup.

It’s looking increasingly likely the impoverished island state of Madagascar will continue living the nightmare of political instability.

Marc Ravalomanana, the twice-elected President who spent years of exile in South Africa, says the fraud and violence he’s seen renders the poll not transparent and not creditable.

His opponent Andry Rajoelina also alleges electoral irregularities.

Political instability and the resultant security threat has dragged Madagascar down to being the seventh poorest country on the planet

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Twice elected former President Marc Ravalomanana says he has evidence of massive fraud in the voting.

The turnout has been lower in Madagascar’s run-off election than it was for the first round when 45% of the 10 million registered voters stayed away.

Looking for his first election win — the last time he took the presidency was in a coup — Andry Rajoelina has concentrated on the urban vote in a campaign largely funded by foreign interests keen to get access to the island’s natural resources.

Marc Ravalomanana was hoping for a bigger turnout  which would have brought in a stronger rural vote.

Final results are not expected until next week

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The final result of the contest between twice-elected former President Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina, who unseated him in a 2009 coup, is not expected before Christmas.

SADC’s current chair, Namibian President Heine Geingob has tweeted his encouragement that both candidates in the Madagascar Presidential run-off have said they will accept the outcome.

Prime Minister of the island state Christian Ntsay, says his country which has become the seventh poorest nation on the planet largely due to political instability, doesn’t deserve  further unrest.

Ominously both candidates have laid out reasons for possibly disputing the final result. 

Marc Ravalomana says there’s been cheating with ballot papers and voter registration cards.

Andry Rajoelina alleges vote rigging in several centres.

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Andry Rajoelina and Marc Ravalomanana — who have each held the top job in the world’s seventh poorest country before — declared themselves winners in the run-off which analysts warned was likely to draw claims of fraud.

Marc Ravalomanana uses the nickname he’s picked up on the hustings and declares: Change is coming tomorrow.

Today it can be said Papa is elected. 

However, his rival Andry Rajoelina says he’s  sure he’s going to win

Both camps allege they’ve been  victims of fraud and cheating.

The EU observer mission, says the turnout yesterday was around 50 percent.

It calls for candidates and their supporters to wait patiently for the official results.

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Failure of this election could drive the world’s seventh poorest country into even more despair.

Twice-elected Madagascar President Marc Ravalomana has produced 500 ballot papers handed to him last night before the polls opened this morning.

They come from men who told him they’d been given stacks of voters registration cards and told to use them at as many polling stations as possible.

Ravalomanana fears such cheating could rob him of any change of beating Andry Rajoelina who ousted him in a 2009 coup that drove Madagascar into isolation, instability and poverty.

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Both Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina says they’s accept the outcome of the election – which is vital for pulling the island state out of its political and economic mess.

Marc Ravalomanana, who was ousted as President of Madagascar by Andry Rajoelina in a 2009 coup, promises to lift the country out of poverty if he is re-elected.

More than 17 million of Madagascar’s 25-million population live in dire poverty.

To beat Andry Rajoelina, he’ll have to bring out many of the 45 percent  of the 10-million registered voters who stayed away in the first round.

Rajoelina has been using his $20-million war chest to secure the support of the voters who gave him a narrow first round win.

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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.

ends intro

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.

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It’s vital for the result of the poll to be accepted in the impoverished island state striving to grow out of years of political instability.

The European Union’s observer mission in Madagascar reports no anomalies in the election.

But party workers for many of the 36 candidates say many people were excluded from the voters’ roll.

Fewer than half the registered 10 million cast their ballots.

The contest looks like a two-horse race between former president Marc Ravalomanana and the man who ousted him in a 2009 coup Andry Rajoelina.

Incumbent Heri Rajoanarimampianini has faded in the latter stages of the campaign.

A run-off election between the two seems increasingly likely on December 19.

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Former president Marc Ravalomanana’s supporters say the new law is blocking his candidacy in a elections scheduled for later this year.

end intro

Madagascar’s President Hery Rajoanarimampianini calls the protests a coup.

He warns what he calls troublemakers that they’ll face the full might of the law.

Madagascar features in today’s SADC double troika summit in Luanda.

Political unrest that unseated  President Marc Ravalomanana in a 2009 coup, has brought the island state to its knees.

After eight years exiled in South Africa, Ravalomanana’s gone home to oppose Rajoanarimampianini.

The former finance minister won the 2014 election from which both Ravalomanana and coup leader Andry Rajoelina were barred.

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