Politics

Madagascar’s election to proceed despite anti-Rajoelina protests

Published

6 months ago

November 13, 2023

Madagascar’s President, Andry Rajoelina, will seek re-election on Thursday despite protests about his alleged ineligibility championed by opposition groups.

The Electoral Body confirmed on Monday that the election would go ahead on Thursday for the first-round ballot, just days after the leader of the lower house of parliament, a member of the president’s party, called for the vote to be suspended as the conditions were not right.

There are thirteen contenders in the presidential race, three of whom include the wealthiest man on the island, Rajoelina and two other former presidents, Marc Ravalomanana and Hery Rajaonarimampianina, who all have long-standing rivalries that have been reignited by the contest.

Ravalomanana and Rajaonarimampianina are two of the ten rival candidates who have expressed a desire to postpone the vote.

Opposing candidates have also demanded the establishment of a special court to hear cases involving votes and the appointment of new officials to lead the electoral commission.

Rajoelina’s political opponents have been holding regular protests for the past six weeks, and they claim that Rajoelina should be disqualified because he obtained French nationality in 2014. The protestors have been dispersed by police using tear gas. However, Rajoelina argues that the head of state is not required by the constitution to be solely of Malagasy nationality.

At a campaign rally on Sunday in the capital, Antananarivo, he urged supporters to vote,9008 and dismissed the opposition’s calls for delays as a political tactic.

“The Malagasy people do not want any more destabilisation. We don’t want another crisis,” he told thousands of supporters who were wearing the orange colours of his political party, Young Malagasy People Ready.

Last month, the United Nations alleged that the human rights office of Malagasy security forces had used “unnecessary and disproportionate force” against peaceful protesters and called for respect for freedom of expression and assembly, but the government claims it only adopted minimum force to maintain order.

With reserves of gold, nickel, and cobalt, a population of about 30 million—only 11 million voters—registered for the election. A two-round method is used to elect the president of Madagascar; if no candidate obtains a majority of the vote in the first round, a run-off election will be held.

Related Topics:Elections Featured Madagasca

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Politics

S’Africa lengthens troop deployment in Mozambique, Congo DR

Published

24 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a speech that South Africa’s military would keep sending troops to Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which are both in the middle of wars.

The extension will leave 1,198 members of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) in eastern Congo for an unknown amount of time. They are there as part of a United Nations peacekeeping force helping Congo fight rebel groups.

The statement also said that 1,495 members of the SANDF would keep working in Mozambique, where they have been since 2021 helping the government fight dangerous extremism in the north.

After two SANDF troops were killed and three were hurt by a mortar bomb in Congo in February, South Africa’s military operations abroad have been looked at more closely at home this year.

Meanwhile, the major opposition party in South Africa, the Democratic Alliance, said that Ramaphosa sent troops into a war zone without being ready.
Under the supervision of the UN, the SANDF has taken on many dangerous and difficult peacekeeping tasks over the years to help war-torn African countries stay stable and peaceful.

In 2003, South Africa was one of the first countries to send troops to Burundi to help the peace process. During the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) peacekeeping mission in 2000, the SANDF led attempts to stabilize the country’s politics, rebuild and improve infrastructure, and train DRC troops.

Politics

Digital Rights: Policy enthusiast, Jere, advocates self-regulation as alternative to govt regulations

Published

3 days ago

April 24, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Copperbelt businessman and mining policy advocate, George Jere, has highlighted the importance of self-regulation in the expanding digital media landscape, countering arguments against freedom of speech.

In an exclusive discussion with Zambia Monitor, Jere challenged notions surrounding media freedom and digital rights, emphasizing the indispensable role of effective media instruments in national progress.

“Digital media’s unrestricted nature facilitates publishing, although tracking those behind it poses challenges for government intervention,” Jere remarked, advocating for self-regulation as a preferable alternative to government restrictions.

He stressed the need for a balanced approach between private and public media operations, criticizing the high level of censorship in public media channels.

“While cyber security laws fall short, self-regulation offers a more effective solution for managing digital platforms,” Jere asserted, expressing disappointment in the government’s failure to enact comprehensive media reforms.

Jere cautioned against subjective regulations aimed at suppressing dissenting voices, urging authorities to reconsider laws through inclusive consultations.

“Media freedom should extend to all, including rural communities, chiefs, and church leaders, across traditional, social, and digital platforms,” he emphasized.

Reflecting on public media governance, Jere noted its tendency to align with ruling interests, calling for fairer recruitment processes for media executives to ensure unbiased coverage.

Regarding proposed taxes on online livestream programmes, Jere questioned the necessity of double taxation, suggesting negotiation of percentage-based levies to support domestic resource mobilization without unfairly targeting individuals.

As debates on freedom of speech and media regulation continue, Jere remained steadfast in advocating for inclusive, balanced media practices to foster national development.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.