A court in Madagascar has ordered a one-week postponement of the island’s November Presidential election, a move that incumbent president Andry Rajoelina has opposed.
The High Constitutional Court announced on its website that it has ordered the first round of the election to be rescheduled from Nov. 9 to Nov. 16, while keeping the second round election on Dec. 20.The court provided no explanation for the modification.
Soava Andriamarotafika, spokesperson for the Independent National Electoral Commission, said the postponement gave them more time to prepare for the vote.
The Indian Ocean island is aiming for its third peaceful election since the upheaval of 2009 when Rajoelina ousted then president Marc Ravalomanana in a coup.
Rajoelina resigned in early September after being confirmed as a candidate in the forthcoming poll, in line with Madagascar’s constitution that requires a sitting head of state who wants to contest a presidential election to first step down.
The court ruling is not linked to a request by another presidential candidate, Andry Raobelina, who wanted the vote postponed due to what he said was “force majeure” after being injured during a protest last week, forcing him to seek medical attention in Mauritius.
Rajoelina said the change suited neither him nor his party.
The 11 candidates running against Rajoelina have been holding daily marches in the capital, which police have routinely dispersed using teargas.
Marchers have demanded that the election commission’s officers be replaced and that a special court be established to address election issues.
They also want Rajoelina banned from running because he is not a Madagascan citizen, which he has previously denied.
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