The march of the collective of 11 presidential candidates in Antananarivo attracted the attention of many observers and sparked passionate debates. Despite the restrictive measures announced by the police chief, opposition candidates and their supporters defied the ban and marched peacefully in the streets of the capital.
The procession, which left Antsakaviro, was supervised by security forces but was not prevented from continuing its journey. The candidates took advantage of this opportunity to express their dissatisfaction with what they consider to be a partiality of the regime in place towards the candidate Andry Rajoelina.
Some candidates, such as Roland Ratsiraka, affirmed that despite the restrictions imposed, the movement of the 11 candidates will continue in the streets. They deplored the fact that only the campaign of candidate Rajoelina seems to benefit from meeting authorizations, while supporters of other candidates face tear gas.
Other candidates, such as Jean-Jacques Ratsietison, refused to participate in the electoral campaign until there was a political agreement reached with the interim government. They also fear massive fraud which could favor candidate Rajoelina.
In response to the demands of opposition candidates, the outgoing president, Andry Rajoelina, rejected the request for recomposition of the Independent National Electoral Commission and the High Constitutional Court. He also called on opposing candidates to engage in the electoral process.
The 11 candidates are asking for a postponement of the first round of the presidential vote which is currently scheduled for November 16, after having already been postponed by a week. They want measures to be taken to guarantee the integrity and transparency of the electoral process.
Despite the tensions and differences, the march of the collective of 11 presidential candidates was able to take place peacefully, thus testifying to the desire of the Malagasy people to express themselves and actively participate in the democratic process.