Long-Awaited Madagascar Elections Go to Second Round · Global Voices
Madagascar is headed to a presidential run-off. Results have been slow to trickle in since elections were held on October 25, 2013 -the first since a military-backed coup in 2009- but the final tally shows that candidate <PERSON> won 21.1 percent of the vote, and <PERSON> won about 15.9 percent.
The second round is scheduled for December 20. These two candidates are considered to be proxies for former President <PERSON>, who was ousted in 2009, and <PERSON>, who is the current transition president. Both <PERSON> and <PERSON> were barred from the presidential elections.
The elections were highly anticipated, and while polling was “largely peaceful” and international observers were quick to describe the process as “free and fair”, many potential voters were prevented from casting their vote due to problems with the electoral lists, allAfrica.com reported.
The two candidates who will go to the second round of elections: <PERSON> (left) and <PERSON>. Photo via <PERSON> on Facebook (used with permission)
Bloggers reacted to the results. <PERSON>, on his blog [fr], wrote:
Au cœur d’un bureau populaire lors de la soirée électorale, je peux témoigner de l’enthousiasme de nos citoyens vis-à-vis du processus. 575
Et de leur respect des résultats. Magnifique illustration de démocratie populaire ou chaque bulletin annoncé faisait l’objet d’une joyeuse approbation.
I was present in a polling station during the electoral night and I can attest to the enthusiasm of our citizens for the electoral process. I witnessed their respect of the results. Magnificent show of democracy where each vote announced was saluted by joyous approval
A video from <PERSON> illustrated the atmosphere at a polling station [mg]:
Others tried to project the results of the second-round vote based on first-round results:
#mdg2013: la carte des résultats par district pourrait permettre une projection des résultats du 2ème tour… http://t.co/X1FT6qzOEc
— <PERSON> (@andrimaso) November 12, 2013
#mdg2013: A map of the results per district can give indication of how the run off might look like… http://t.co/X1FT6qzOEc
#Madagascar <PERSON> n'a aucune chance de gagner http://t.co/QhDyfktrSm La HAT fera tout pour garder le pouvoir #Madagasikara #Mdg2013
— Gasy.ImpACT (@GasyImpACT) November 13, 2013
#Madagascar: Candidate <PERSON> cannot win. The HAT [The Transitional Authority] will do anything to stay in power.
Some pessimistic voices already predict yet another crisis, as reported on Radio France Internationale [fr]:
tous les ingrédients d’une nouvelle crise sont d’ores et déjà présents : des institutions peu fiables, une élection organisée à la va-vite sans le préalable d’un contexte apaisé… D’ailleurs, plusieurs candidats ont demandé l’annulation du premier tour. L’un de ses propres alliés a accusé le candidat d’Etat, <PERSON>, d’avoir enfreint les règles et a exigé sa disqualification ! Les exemples de contestation de la sincérité du vote sont légion. Dans ce contexte, si le candidat d’Etat devait remporter au deuxième tour, il n’aurait jamais la légitimité nécessaire pour asseoir son autorité présidentielle.
Il n’y a aucune chance que le candidat de l’opposition gagne les élections car ceux qui tiennent l’Etat aujourd’hui feront tout pour garder le pouvoir. 257