Pretoria – South Africa has congratulated Madagascar on the election of its new president, Hery Rajaonarimampianina.
Last Friday, Madagascar's special electoral court declared Rajaonarimampianina as the winner of the presidential run-off held on 20 December. He won 53.49 percent of votes, while his opponent Jean Louis Robinson received 46.51 percent.
The first round of presidential election was held in October 2013 but produced no clear winner.
Reiterating SADC’s position, South Africa urged the unsuccessful candidates, their respective parties and political leaders to demonstrate their commitment towards ending the political crisis in that country, and finding a lasting solution by putting the supreme interests of the country above their individual and political parties’ interests.
“All concerned stakeholders and their supporters should exercise restraint and refrain from any political incitement that could undermine peace and stability,” International Relations and Cooperation spokesperson Clayson Monyela said.
Monyela urged all stakeholders to work towards reconciliation and national unity.
Madagascar, an Indian Ocean island nation, was plunged into political crisis in December 2008, and Andry Rajoelina, then mayor of the capital city of Antananarivo, seized power from then president Marc Ravalomanana in March 2009 with the military's backing. The takeover was seen as a coup by the international community, which saw the country being suspended from the African Union.
Despite talks and agreements on a solution, politicians in the country had failed to iron out their differences over power sharing, until the Southern African Development Community initiated a roadmap to elections to end the crisis and restore democracy and constitutional rule.
Pretoria hoped to reactivate and expand its bilateral relations with Madagascar and working with Rajaonarimampianina’s administration to promote bilateral co-operation between the two countries. – SAnews.gov.za
