The High Constitutional Court (HCC) announced the postponement by one week of the first round of the presidential election, initially scheduled for November 9. The campaign started Tuesday in a deleterious climate. The opposition candidates gathered within the “collective of 11” refused to participate, as long as a political agreement for fair elections accepted by all had not been concluded with the government.
This decision follows the request filed Monday by one of the eleven opposition candidates united as a collective, Andry Raobelina. Injured in the eye by the police during a demonstration, he was forced to withdraw from the campaign, which justifies for him “ a postponement due to force majeure ”.
However, the HCC rejected his request: Andry Raobelina exposed himself “ of his own free will ”, she believes, to a “ foreseeable risk ” linked to the operations to disperse the demonstrators. Still, even if rejected, this request still leads to a postponement of the vote. But the HCC rather highlights the general climate of tensions and considers that it is up to it to “ regulate ” the activity of institutions when this is disrupted.
Senate President dismissed
Furthermore, since the beginning of the week, in parallel with the campaign, a crisis has shaken the Senate, the president of which was today dismissed by a unanimous vote of the senators during an extraordinary session. The IRD senators, from the outgoing president’s party, at the origin of this impeachment, have questioned the mental stability of Herimanana Razafimahefa since he said he was ready, on Tuesday, to take on his role as head of state. acting, a role which falls to him during this electoral period according to the Constitution.
A month earlier, he had refused it, to everyone’s surprise, before making revelations on Monday. He declared, on France 24 , that he had been threatened with death by Andry Rajoelina’s entourage if he did not give up leading the country in the interim.
Source: Radio France Internationale
