ZCZC
BFF-47
MADAGASCAR-VOTE-CENI
Madagascar poll organiser denies graft claims
ANTANANARIVO, Nov 10, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Madagascar’s Ceni election
commission hit back on Saturday at allegations made by a leading presidential
hopeful that officials involved in tallying results acted corruptly following
this week’s polls.
Marc Ravalomanana, one of three former presidents who are the poll
frontrunners, alleged Friday that journalists from the state broadcaster had
been bribed to leave Ceni’s offices during vote tallying.
“I call on those who accuse us of taking cash to bring proof,” said Ceni
president Yves Herinirina Rakotomanana.
Ravalomanana’s camp had also attacked Ceni for the slow progress in
counting the votes cast in Wednesday’s poll of which around six percent have
been tallied so far.
“The law says that we have to release the complete results by November 20 –
– and that’s what we’ll do,” added Rakotomanana.
Ravalomanana’s campaign manager Anisoa Tseheno Rabenja had on Friday warned
the “institutions responsible for managing this election” against “any
attempt to steal it”.
His fellow frontrunner Hery Rajaonarimampianina, who ruled from 2014 until
September this year when he had to resign to contest the election, said that
there were “numerous irregularities” in the polls.
A fraudulent electoral roll and pre-completed ballots were among the
allegations made by Rajaonarimampianina on Thursday.
But European Union, African Union and Southern African Development
Community observers have insisted the poll passed off normally and that any
irregularities were isolated incidents.
The former French colony has struggled to overcome political divisions
after a disputed 2001 election that sparked clashes and a 2009 military-
backed coup.
According to provisional results released by the election commission on
Friday, former president Andry Rajoelina was leading the tally of votes
counted so far with 42.86 percent.
Ravalomanana was close behind with 40.18 percent, according to the results
based on 1,350 polling stations out of 24,852.
Rajaonarimampianina trailed on 4.38 percent.
Both Ravalomanana and Rajoelina were banned from contesting the last
elections in 2013 under international pressure to avoid a repeat of political
violence that engulfed the island in 2009.
Madagascar is one of the world’s poorest countries, according to World Bank
data, with almost four in five people living in poverty.
BSS/AFP/IJ/1637 hrs