Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina secures re-election in a controversial election

Madagascar's current President, Andry Rajoelina, has won a third term in office after a controversial election that was boycotted by the opposition and its supporters. Rajoelina received 59% of the votes, defeating former President Marc Ravalomanana and Siteni Randrianasoloniaiko, his two closest rivals. However, the election had the lowest turnout in the country's history, with only 46% of voters participating. This was largely due to 10 presidential contenders calling for a boycott of the election, citing concerns about its credibility and Rajoelina's eligibility to run for a third term due to his dual French nationality. Despite the withdrawal of the opposition candidates, their names remained on the ballot. The constitutional court now has nine days to confirm the election results, which were announced on Saturday by Madagascar's electoral body, Ceni. The boycotting opposition has already declared that they will not recognize the results. The lead-up to the election was characterized by six weeks of protests and clashes with the police, leading to a curfew being imposed in Antananarivo on the eve of the poll. Rajoelina, a 49-year-old entrepreneur and former DJ, previously won a presidential run-off against Ravalomanana in 2018 after neither candidate achieved the required 50% of the vote in the first round. Rajoelina had initially come to power in 2009 through a coup that was supported by the military. As president, Rajoelina will now face the challenge of addressing unemployment and improving the country's economy, as 75% of the population currently lives below the poverty line according to the World Bank. Additionally, he is expected to bring stability to a country that has experienced years of political unrest.