In Madagascar, former president Marc Ravalomanana will go all the way to run for mayor of Antananarivo. A promise he made to his supporters on Saturday, September 21, during a meeting held at his party headquarters. This week, his candidacy was rejected by the Independent National Electoral Commission (Ceni). The latter sided with the position of the General Directorate of Taxes, which is demanding 125 billion ariary in arrears from the former president – nearly 25 million euros – dating back to 2009, the year he was ousted from power. The opponent denounces a political maneuver.
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With a grave face, Marc Ravalomanana makes his way to the stage, amidst a thousand cheering supporters. The road to the capital’s town hall Malagasy looks set to be tough, in the absence of a tax regularity certificate, required to validate his candidacy. The cause is unpaid taxes from his company Tiko dating back to 2009. An amount that the former president refuses to assume, whose company, at the time a food industry giant, had been looted, vandalized and burned in the midst of the political crisis.
” Pressure on the tax administration »
Maître Hanitra Razafimanantsoa, president of the “Firaisankina” group, the leading opposition force in the National Assembly: “ Since 2018, Marc Ravalomanana has been able to run in the 2018 and 2023 presidential elections and he has been able to obtain the tax regularity certificate. Why are we refusing to give him this famous certificate today? There was pressure on the tax administration. All this is because they are afraid that he will be elected mayor of Antananarivo. »
On stage, Marc Ravalomanana galvanizes his supporters: ” Come together and form support committees in your neighborhoods “, says the former president. ” Be readyhe said, to take your responsibilities ” And to add, ” They don’t know what the Tananarivians are capable of ” No explicit call to take to the streets.
CONTESTATION
Michel, an activist, says he is already ready: “ Me, my family, my colleagues, my staff, we are ready to [participer à] all events “The legal route continues to prevail for the time being. TIM, Marc Ravalomanana’s party, has contested the rejection of his candidacy with the administrative court. The verdict should be known this Sunday, September 22.
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