Antananarivo | Tuesday
MADAGASCAR’S High Constitutional Court (HCC) announced on Monday it had begun recounting ballot papers from a controversial presidential election in December that plunged the Indian Ocean island into political crisis.
“We began the recount on April 17,” said HCC member Florent Rakotoarisoa, saying the HCC would announce the results within “weeks, rather than days”.
The announcement followed an order by the Supreme Court for an overhaul of the HCC, which had been stuffed, before the December election, with members who favoured President Didier Ratsiraka over rival candidate Marc Ravalomanana.
Importantly, the court also ruled that the recount would be legally binding even if the number of HCC members fell below the usual quorum of six — the number currently sitting on the nine-member court following the chairman’s resignation and the absence of two other members.
“We have made clear that, yes, the law calls for at least six members to sit on the HCC. But if by chance another of us resigns or leaves voluntarily or involuntarily, that will not prevent the HCC from functioning,” said one of its members, Dieudonne Rakotondrabao.
Ravalomanana contested the official result of the December poll given by the HCC at the time, which gave him a slight lead over Ratsiraka but not an absolute majority. He insisted on a recount but the HCC refused, leading Ravalomanana to declare himself “president” in February, plunging Madagascar into a deep political and economic crisis.
Clashes between supporters of the rival leaders became increasingly violent until the Ravalomanana and Ratsiraka agreed on April 18 to work together to end the crisis.
If the recount does not produce a winner with an absolute majority, the April 18 accord provides for a transitional government that will organise a referendum for the Madagascan electorate to choose one of the two as the country’s new leader.
The deal, brokered in Dakar by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), also orders Ratsiraka’s followers to end their blockade of the capital Antananarivo, which has deprived Ravalomanana’s stronghold of fuel and other vital supplies.
On Monday, Ravalomanana urged Ratsiraka’s supporters to comply with this undertaking but the latter said they would not budge until Ratsiraka returned from a private visit to France. – AFP