Herizo Razafimahaleo

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Herizo Jossicher Razafimahaleo (born February 21, 1955[1]) is a politician in Madagascar who has run for president three times and served as Foreign Minister.

Razafimahaleo was economic adviser to President Didier Ratsiraka from 1989 to 1991. He founded the LEADER Fanilo party in 1992 and was elected to the National Assembly in June 1993 from Ambositra. Razafimahaleo was named Minister of Industrial Promotion and Tourism in the government of Prime Minister Francisque Ravony in August 1993, but resigned from this position in July 1994.[2] He founded the newspaper L'Express de Madagascar in 1995.[3]

Razafimahaleo was the LEADER-Fanilo candidate in the November 1996 presidential election, winning 15.13% of the vote and taking third place.[2][4][5] On December 28 he announced his support for Ratsiraka in the second round of the election, which was held on the next day;[2] Razafimahaleo's support has been considered crucial in enabling Ratsiraka's narrow victory over Albert Zafy.[6]

Ratsiraka took office as president on February 9, 1997,[2] and in the new government of Prime Minister Pascal Rakotomavo, named on February 27, Razafimahaleo became Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs; he was one of three deputy prime ministers.[2][7][8] He was not included in the subsequent government of Prime Minister Tantely Andrianarivo, formed in July 1998.[2]

Razafimahaleo was again a candidate in the December 2001 presidential election, winning about 4% of the vote and taking fourth place.[5] Amidst the crisis that followed this election, with Ratsiraka and his main challenger, Marc Ravalomanana, disputing the election results, Razafimahaleo resigned as National President of LEADER-Fanilo and withdrew from politics on May 18, 2002.[3][9]

He began a return to active politics with a press conference on January 24, 2006, in which he was sharply critical of Ravalomanana.[3] He officially announced on September 1, 2006, that he would run for president again in the December 2006 election.[3][6] In the days prior to the election some observers considered him the main challenger to Ravalomanana, the incumbent president.[10] Razafimahaleo took 9.03% of the vote and came in fourth place according to official results. His best result was in Antsiranana Province, where he won 22.44% of the vote, followed by Fianarantsoa Province, where he won 16.37%.[11]

Razafimahaleo opposed the constitutional changes proposed in the 2007 constitutional referendum and participated in a national committee that campaigned for a "no" vote as a coordinator of action.[12]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Curriculum Vitae at Herizo.org (French).
  2. ^ a b c d e f "LEADER FANILO sous la IIIe République" (timeline), Herizo.org (French).
  3. ^ a b c d "Principaux jalons du parcours de Herizo RAZAFIMAHALEO", Herizo.org (French).
  4. ^ "RAPPORT DE LA MISSION D’OBSERVATION DE L’ELECTION PRESIDENTIELLE DU 29 DECEMBRE 1996 (2ETOUR)", democratie.francophonie.org (French).
  5. ^ a b Elections in Madagascar, African Elections Database.
  6. ^ a b "Presidential elections in Madagascar, Herizo Razafimahaleo’s third try", African Press Agency, September 2, 2006.
  7. ^ "LE PAYS DE 1982 A 1997", afriquepluriel.ruwenzori.net (French).
  8. ^ "Madagascar: New premier announces cabinet", Malagasy National Radio, Antananarivo, February 27, 1997.
  9. ^ Chronology of events in Madagascar from 1995 to 2002, taniko.free.fr (French).
  10. ^ "Team Ravalomanana confident of poll victory", AFP (IOL), November 28, 2006.
  11. ^ 2006 presidential election results from the High Constitutional Court (French).
  12. ^ "Début de la campagne pour le référendum constitutionnel", AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), March 20, 2007 (French).


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