Norbert Ratsirahonana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Norbert Lala Ratsirahonana (born November 18, 1938) is a Malagasy politician.

He was born in Antsiranana. He founded and led the Asa Vita no Ifampitsarana (Judged By Your Work) Party, which opposed President Didier Ratsiraka. He and his party were part of the coalition which elected Albert Zafy to the presidency in 1993. Ratsirahonana then became president of the constitutional court.

On May 28, 1996, when the prime minister was deposed by Parliament in a no confidence vote, Zafy appointed Ratsirahonana to the post. Soon afterward, Zafy was impeached, and on September 5, 1996, Ratsirahonana became acting President of Madagascar. Presidential elections were held in November 1996, in which Ratsirahonana ran, taking fourth place (behind Ratsiraka, Zafy and Herizo Razafimahaleo) and 10% of the vote.^[1] Ratsiraka won in the second round and Ratsirahonana left office as President on February 9, 1997. Twelve days later, he also lost his position as prime minister when Ratsiraka appointed one of his own allies. The AVI then became the main opposition party, though it became very weak, winning only 13 of the 150 seats in the 1998 parliamentary elections.

In 2001, Ratsirahonana withdrew from the presidential election of that year and endorsed the candidacy of Marc Ravalomanana.^[2] When Ravalomanana won, Ratsirahonana had the AVI disbanded.

He was appointed as the president's "roaming embassador" under the Ravalomanana regime. In 2006 Ratsirahonana resigned from his office; in August he announced his candidacy for the December 3 presidential election.^[3] According to official results, he received about 4.2% of the vote and took fifth place.^[1]