Vice Admiral Didier Ratsiraka

Three days later he jumped before he could be pushed on the eve of the second session of church-sponsored reconciliation talks with Ravalomanana Rajoelina and the elderly former Presidents Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy...

In August the Special Electoral Court the Cour spéciale électorale disqualified the three highest-profile candidates after they were found to be in breach of electoral law – ex-President Didier Ratsiraka coup leader Andry Rajoelina and Lalao Ravalomanana wife of ousted President Marc Ravalomanana (AC Vol 54 No 18 Merry-go-rounds)...

These include Edgard Razafindravahy Mayor of the capital Antananarivo; Hery Rajaonarimampianina Finance Minister since 2009; Hajo Andrianainarivelo Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Planning and Development; Roland Ratsiraka nephew of Didier Ratsiraka and Mayor of the main port Toamasina (AC Vol 52 No 1 A permanent putsch); Camille Vital former Premier; Pierrot Rajaonarivelo Foreign Affairs Minister since 2011; and Jean Lahiniriko President of the National Assembly and a stalwart of the post-coup government the Haute Autorité de la Transition (High Transition Authority HAT)...

They included coup leader Andry Rajoelina ex-President Didier Ratsiraka and Lalao Ravalomanana wife of ousted President Marc Ravalomanana...

The latest stalemate in Malagasy politics came about when coup leader Andry Rajoelina former President Didier Ratsiraka and Lalao Ravalomanana wife of ousted President Marc Ravalomanana were confirmed as presidential candidates by the Cour Electorale Spéciale (Special Electoral Court CES) on 3 May...

The latest round of political trouble started on 3 May when coup leader Rajoelina former President Didier Ratsiraka and Lalao Ravalomanana wife of ousted President Marc Ravalomanana were confirmed as presidential candidates by the Cour Electorale Spéciale (Special Electoral Court CES)...

Lalao Ravalomanana wife of former President Ravalomanana and Didier Ratsiraka President from 1975 to 1993 and again from 1997 to 2002 were also there despite failing to meet the residence condition for candidates...

Nearly all the parties except that led by ex-President Didier Ratsiraka agreed such a deal last year but an advisor to Prime Minister Jean-Omer Beriziky told Africa Confidential that Malagasy politicians share a tendency to break their promises...

This idea also displeases former President Didier Ratsiraka who leads a movement advocating a meeting of ‘all the nation’s living forces’...

• Didier Ratsiraka 75 President in 1975-1991 and 1996-2001...

Eight of them endorsed it this year but the political movements led by Ravalomanana and two other ex-presidents Albert Zafy and Didier Ratsiraka rejected it because it denied exiles the right to go home in time to participate in the elections...