Defeated Madagascar president appeals

Antananarivo — The defeated candidate in Madagascar’s disputed presidential election has appealed to African states to investigate alleged fraud in last month’s vote, the first since a coup plunged the island into crisis five years ago, an aide said on Tuesday.The aide to Jean Louis Robinson said he would outline “irregularities” to representatives of the Southern African Development Community and African Union, which both worked on a political deal to push Madagascar towards an election. The row over the 20 December election result threatens to extend the political paralysis that has deepened poverty in the giant island country off the south-east coast of Africa.

The crisis erupted when the army backed outgoing President Andry Rajoelina’s power grab in 2009, ousting Marc Ravalomanana. Robinson is Ravalomanana’s ally, while the declared winner of the election, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, was a finance minister under Rajoelina. —Reuters.