Vol 54 No 17 |
- MADAGASCAR
Announcing a restructuring of the electoral court and allowing newspapers to hint that he may opt out of the presidential race, Rajoelina has outwitted his rivals and international monitors
The drums were rolling ahead of 31 July, the deadline set by international organisations for Andry Rajoelina, President of the Haute Autorité de la Transition, to organise credible...
Vol 54 No 16 |
- MADAGASCAR
Coup leader Rajoelina's insistence that he must be a candidate has thrown preparations for the presidential elections into chaos
Political tensions and street clashes have been increasing ahead of the 31 July deadline set by the Groupe internationale de contact sur Madagascar (GIC-M), which has set key...
Vol 54 No 11 |
- MADAGASCAR
Three familiar names pop up again on the list of presidential hopefuls
When the Cour spéciale électorale (CES, Special Electoral Court) announced on 3 May the final list of candidates for the presidential poll on 24 July, the number had...
Confusion surrounds when, or even if, elections can be held this year but nobody doubts that the public yearns for an end to the political vacuum
Malagasy have been waiting a long time to have their electoral say but on 5 February, the electoral commission postponed the long-awaited presidential election from 8 May to...
South Korean diplomats are working to help Daewoo Logistics regain at least part of a huge land-lease deal the company lost after Madagascar's 2009 coup d'état. In May,...
In October, Chinese companies were once again the target of Madagascar’s environmental groups for their role in illegal rosewood exploitation. Environmental umbrella group Alliance Voahary Gasy pointed ...
Vol 53 No 18 |
- MADAGASCAR
A reckless dash to exploit natural resources threatens the environment and wildlife
After the military coup of March 2009, the plunder of Madagascar’s vast resources went into overdrive, under high-level political protection. It shows no sign of abating and concern...
Vol 53 No 18 |
- MADAGASCAR
New opportunities for plunder are opening up in minerals, oil and gas as shadowy businesses discover fresh resources. A few big companies have joined the voluntary Extractive Industries...
Vol 53 No 17 |
- MADAGASCAR
On 17 August, the Southern African Development Community failed in its
third attempt to reconcile feuding Presidents Marc Ravalomanana
and Andry Rajoelina. Rajoelina overthrew Ravalomanana in March
2009 and is now...
The confusion is far from over. The United Nations proposes that Madagascar hold presidential and parliamentary elections in May or June 2013 but Andry Rajoelina is holding out. The army installed him as national leader after its coup in March 2009 threw out his elected predecessor, Marc Ravalomanana. He now heads the Haute Autorité de la Transition (HAT) that was installed in November 2011, following a ‘road map’ signed the previous month by most political leaders (AC Vol 53 No 5, Who's the democrat now?).
There is logic behind the timetable suggested by the UN experts who, chaired by Akinyemi Adegbola, visited the island in April-May. Time is needed to establish a credible...