Madagascar’s Top Court Validates President’s Re-Election

(Bloomberg) -- Madagascar’s top court validated the outcome of last month’s election in which President Andry Rajoelina secured another five-year term in office.

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The official results showed Rajoelina won 59% of votes cast on Nov. 16 amid a low turnout, while former judo champion Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko finished runner-up with 14.4%. The High Constitutional Court upheld the results in a ruling given in Antananarivo, the capital, on Friday.

A 49-year-old former DJ and mayor of Antananarivo, Rajoelina first took office in 2009 after President Marc Ravalomanana was toppled in a coup. He didn’t run in the 2013 elections, but returned to power after winning a 2018 vote.

Previous elections and political transitions in the Indian Ocean island have been marred by protests and violence. Two former presidents were among several candidates who called for a boycott of this year’s vote, alleging that there was an attempt to rig it in favor of the incumbent. Two army colonels were taken into police custody for allegedly planning a mutiny, L’Express de Madagascar reported on Nov. 28.

Madagascar is the world’s biggest vanilla producer and one of the poorest countries. Its economy is expected to grow 4.5% in 2024, up from a revised 4% this year, the Economy and Finance Ministry’s projections show.

Even so, revenue from vanilla sales slumped by almost half in the nine months through September, contributing to a 16% drop in exports receipts. While the southern part of the island is prone to drought, the eastern region is vulnerable to cyclones and torrential rain during the summer months.

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