In Antananarivo, political tension rose a notch on Friday. During a march towards the Palais des Sports, the collective of 11 presidential candidates launched an ultimatum to the country’s institutions by demanding the signing of a political agreement. Opponents of Andry Rajoelina have threatened a rally on the Place du 13 Mai from this Monday if no agreement is reached during the weekend. After attempting to reach Independence Avenue, the candidates and some 200 supporters, surrounded by a large police force, were ordered to disperse.
2 mins
With our correspondent in Antananarivo,
They wanted to talk with the manager of the Palais des Sports and see, with their own eyes, if handball players were playing as planned in a tournament at the gymnasium in which they had hoped, on Monday, to bring together their supporters. But the police, massively prepositioned in the city center, did not let them access the Palace.
After some heated exchanges between the gendarmes and the collective of 11 candidates, in the middle of the crowd, the spokesperson for the collective and candidate Andry Raobelina then issued a statement: “ We do not accept the candidacy for the Malagasy presidential election of a person who does not have Malagasy citizenship! We demand the dissolution of the Ceni in its current composition. We are calling for a Special Electoral Court, because we do not accept the current government to lead the country in this electoral period. If there is no agreement within a short time, we will meet all the active forces and the Malagasy people at the Place du 13 Mai this Monday. »
“ We do not want to create destabilization », underlines the candidate Tahina Razafinjoelina. “ We asked for authorizations to be able to report to our supporters in closed places, but we have always been refused them. So now, it’s them who are pushing us to meet on May 13 Square. »
“ If there are deaths “, warns candidate Auguste Paraina, “ it will be their responsibility “. For the Tsara Tahafina party candidate, the current situation is dismaying: “ It’s like a match in which you realize that the referee has chosen his side. We candidates no longer trust the HCC. Everyone saw the decision she made concerning the nationality of the president, but especially concerning the interim. It is the same for the Ceni, and especially for the government, which is in the process of taking a position for ONE candidate. »
The candidates therefore hope to conclude a political agreement during the weekend with the country’s institutions. A demand ” unfounded » replied government spokesperson Lalatiana Rakotondrazafy Andriatongarivo on her Facebook page. According to the minister, this Friday’s demonstration amounts to provocation and constitutes a violation of legal provisions, in reference to the regulations introduced at the end of March prohibiting all demonstrations of a political nature in a public place.