World
Madagascar Elections: Electoral Body Ready To Help Candidates In Verifying Voting Results
CENI will publish counting sheets, used and unused ballots if required
The final result of the Madagascar Presidential Election 2018 is expected to raise fears of instability on the Indian Ocean Island, especially after ex-president Marc Ravalomanana, who is also one of the candidates contesting the elections, has claimed that the election results are not credible.
The results from the electoral commission (CENI) after tallying 92 percent of the results released on Sunday showed Andry Rajoelina taking the lead with 54.86 percent of the votes as compared to 45.14 percent for Ravalomanana.
While both Rajoelina and Ravalomanana agreed to accept the results previously, raising hopes of a peaceful outcome, it now seems the Madagascar people will have to brace themselves for a tense post-election period.
Ravalomanana on Sunday called out the electoral body to investigate the election, reported AfricaNews.
“Fraud and violence have prevailed and this has an impact on the results,” he said in a statement broadcast on Sunday. “The results of this election are not credible and the election is not transparent.”
He reiterated that he will respect the results but only if the election rules are respected.
“It is true that I said that I will respect the results if the rules are respected. Unfortunately, it is not the case,” Ravalomanana said, calling on his supporters “whose rights have been violated, to stand up and defend their choices”.
The electoral commission CENI said it would help candidates in verifying the results for themselves.
“Candidates’ representatives asked for the comparison of the minutes, the verification of the used and non-used ballot. In the name of transparency, the INEC accepts,” Thierry Rakotonarivo, deputy chairman of the electoral commission, said on Monday.
Rakotonarivo said if required the electoral body will publish the counting sheets, the ballots that have been used and that have been not used.
“We could publish those results sooner, but to give the candidates time to check them, we will only do it on Dec. 27,” Rakotonarivo added.
The full provisional Madagascar election results are expected on Thursday.
