Government supporters reject court review of Madagascar's presidential election

AP 26.04.2002

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar - Senior government officials lodged a petition Friday rejecting a court recount of ballots cast in Madagascar's disputed presidential election, saying the judges overseeing the process were illegally appointed.

The two candidates in the Dec. 16 election, opposition leader Marc Ravalomanana and incumbent President Didier Ratsiraka, have established rival government after official election results showed no candidate won more than half the vote. Ratsiraka insisted there be a runoff election, but Ravalomana insisted the vote was rigged and had himself declared president.

The High Constitutional Court is conducting a recount under an accord brokered last week by African leaders in Dakar, Senegal, to settle the dispute. It plans to release its findings on Monday.

Jean de Dieu Maharante, the governor of the southern Tulear province, said Friday the court clearly favored Ravalomanana, as four of the judges attended his inauguration as president.

"It remains an illegal institution," he said, adding that his view was shared by four of the country's five other provincial governors.

The Dakar accord did not specify who should undertake it, said Senator Annick Dahy, a legislator in the Toamasina province.

"We expected the recount would be done by an independent body with representatives of both parties present and an international adjudicator," she said.

Ratsiraka replaced the nine-member High Constitutional Court the day before election campaigning started, but the Supreme Court ruled that move illegal, and the original judges were reinstated to carry out the recount. Only six of the judges are participating in the process.

Dahy said there were accounts of election documentation being removed from the counting center at the High Constitutional Court Building.

"We ... fear there may be some foul play at work," she said. "There is no way that we can accept any kind of result from this insurrectional institution."

The judges rejected the officials' petition, and denied allegations that they were not impartial.

Civil rights officials say about 35 people have died in political violence since the election dispute began, while the island nation's economy has ground to a standstill.