Madagascar governors reject recount

BBC 26.04.2002

Governors loyal to Madagascar's President, Didier Ratsiraka, will not respect the outcome of a recount of last December's presidential elections, their spokesman has said. Senator Annick Daahy warned the French news agency, AFP, that if the courts declared that opposition candidate Marc Ravalomanana had won, the "conflict" would resume.

The High Constitutional Court (HCC) began a recount of the votes on Monday, just after a peace deal was signed in Senegal between Mr Ratsiraka and Mr Ravalomanana.

Mr Ravalomanana says that he won the election outright but official results said that neither candidate had won the 50% of the vote needed for victory.

However, the Supreme Court has nullified these results because Mr Ratsiraka replaced several judges from the HCC, which announces election results, just before the vote.

The HCC will announce the outcome of its recount on Monday.

Blockades

"If Marc Ravalomanana is declared president on Monday, we will go back to a situation of conflict," said Mr Daahy, speaking on behalf of five regional governors who back Mr Ratsiraka.

"We reject in advance its ballot recount because... it is taking place without the presence of Ratsiraka's representatives," he said.

Mr Ratsiraka's supporters based in the eastern port city of Tamatave have imposed an economic blockade on the capital, Antananarivo, where Mr Ravalomanana has his power base.

This has led to shortages of fuel and other essential commodities.

Under the peace deal signed in Senegal, Mr Ratsiraka promised to dismantle the blockades but the governors have said they will remain in place until Mr Ravalomanana's supporters vacate the government buildings they have occupied.

Mr Ravalomanana has retracted his declaration that he was president - also under the terms of the Dakar deal.

Before the deal was signed, the row had become increasingly violent, with 35 people losing their lives.