The march of the collective of 11 presidential candidates took place this Friday in Antananarivo, despite the measures announced by the Antananarivo police prefect the day before. Opposition candidates and their supporters took to the streets to express their discontent with the upcoming elections.
Leaving from Antsakaviro, the procession was surrounded by security forces, but that did not prevent the candidates and their supporters from defending their demands. Roland Ratsiraka, candidate No. 4, affirmed that the movement will continue in the streets despite the announced restrictions. He also accused the regime in place of siding with candidate Andry Rajoelina, by granting him the right to hold meetings and dispersing supporters of other candidates.
For his part, Jean-Jacques Ratsietison, candidate No. 12, declared that he will not enter the campaign until the playing field is clear and cleaned. He believes that fraud has already started across Madagascar and that if the campaign continues, Andry Rajoelina will be re-elected in the first round.
The outgoing president, Andry Rajoelina, rejected the demands of his opponents during a speech broadcast on his Facebook account. He considers that the recomposition of the Independent National Electoral Commission (Ceni) and the High Constitutional Court (HCC) is not legal and encourages candidates to embark on the electoral process.
The 11 candidates are asking for a further postponement of the first round of voting, which is currently scheduled for November 16.
This march by the collective of 11 presidential candidates shows the determination of opponents to express their demands despite the restrictions imposed by the authorities. Political tensions are palpable in Antananarivo and the pre-electoral situation remains precarious. It is essential to closely monitor developments in the political situation in Madagascar in the coming weeks.