armed forces warn of post-election unrest

armed forces warn of post election unrest

In Madagascar, the armed forces are raising their voices as the climate tenses while awaiting the results of the legislative elections on May 29. On social networks, candidates from both the government and the opposition are raising suspicions of fraud by the opposing camp. Symbol of this escalation of tensions, in a town in the south of the country, the premises of the electoral commission were set on fire on Friday May 31. The next day, Saturday June 1, the armed forces therefore warned against any further disturbances linked to the elections.

2 mins

With our correspondent in Antananarivo, Pauline Le Troquier

None ” disturbance “, neither ” handling » results will not be tolerated, warn those responsible for Emmo Nat, the entity which brings together the army, police and gendarmerie. A declaration in the form of a warning in a post-election context that is, to say the least, agitated. Friday afternoon, in Tsihombe, in the far south of the country, the premises housing the CENI were set on fire.

An act attributed, according to a local political source, to residents angry at the suspicions of fraud which marred the voting day on May 29. In Tsiroanomandidy, in the center of the island, the premises of the voting materials census section (SRMV), an entity responsible for enter the results from the counting on a computeralso caught fire this Saturday around 3:30 a.m.

However, there is currently no evidence to indicate an intentional act, says a source within the gendarmerie. In their clarification, the armed forces also called on Internet users to “ don’t get distracted by the spread of false information “. In recent days, social networks have become the scene of interposed clashes between candidates

Some are already claiming their victory, others are contesting their defeats in the light of results from a sample of polling stations that is still not very representative. The official results should only be announced by the High Constitutional Court from June 24.

Read alsoLegislative elections in Madagascar: the Safidy Observatory evokes a “ballot tainted by worrying incidents”

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