By RIVONALA RAZAFISON

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Madagascar President Hery Rajaonarimampianina has resigned ahead the November 7 presidential vote.

The Constitution requires the incumbent leader to quit office 60 days before the vote if seeking re-election.

“Since I am candidate, I have to comply with the law,” he said when addressing the nation on Friday evening.

The country’s High Constitutional Court approved his resignation.

Senate leader Mr Rivo Rakotovao will be the acting head of state until the inauguration of the next president in January.

At his last Cabinet meeting on Thursday, President Rajaonarimampianina named new army generals and appointed new ambassadors to Russia and China.

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He also met the African Union High Representative for Silencing the Guns in Africa, Algerian diplomat Mr Ramtane Lamamra at State House Iavoloha.

Before announcing his resignation on Friday he held talks with the new International Monetary Fund representative in Madagascar, Mr Marc Gérard.

Mr Rajaonarimampianina is the first president to resign ahead of an election following the adoption of new electoral laws in 2010.

He faces 35 presidential aspirants among them three former head of states.

On Thursday, 16 candidates led by veteran leader Didier Ratsiraka, said they wanted the November 7 election postponed.</s>Madagascan President Hery Rajaonarimampianina's resignation comes after several protests against the president's efforts to change electoral laws in favor of his party



ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar – Madagascan President Hery Rajaonarimampianina stepped down Friday, September 7, in line with the constitution, to contest elections in which he will face rivals including opposition leader and ex-president Andry Rajoelina.

Rajaonarimampianina resigned two months ahead of the November 7 vote on the Indian Ocean island that has been beset by political instability.

"The time has come for me to resign in accordance with the constitution and today I have submitted my request to the constitutional court," he said in a brief televised speech.

Mounting protests earlier this year forced Rajaonarimampianina to accept the formation of a "consensus" government tasked with organising the election.

Demonstrators took to the capital Antananarivo's central square between April and June over Rajaonarimampianina's efforts to change electoral laws that opponents said were intended to favor his party.

The proposals were overturned by the courts.

But the protests morphed into a full-blown movement to oust Rajaonarimampianina. Clashes between activists and the security forces claimed two lives and left more than a dozen injured.

Also on the ballot paper will be opposition leader Marc Ravalomanana, Rajoelina's predecessor as civilian head of state.

Rajoelina removed Ravalomanana from power in a coup in 2009.

If no candidate receives more than 50 percent in the first round, a second round of voting will be held on December 19.

Madagascar, a former French colony with a population of 25 million, has been endured decades of political crises and grinding poverty.

The country's interim leader will be senate Speaker Riko Rakotovao. –Rappler.com</s>SEED Madagascar has been helping both the people and wildlife of the African nation for nearly 20 years but needs help. As part of its work, the charity regularly helps build schools, wells and toilet facilities.

Its latest project, which is set to begin in January 2019, will be SEED Madagascar’s largest building yet. Whilst very modest by British standards, the three-classroom school it is looking to build will provide an extra 150 places in a region where almost 50% of children currently don’t go to school, often because there are no available or accessible places. Alongside the actual building, the project will also provide all the necessary furniture for the school and will be accompanied by male and female toilets, a rarity in the country, which will help with sanitation levels for the pupils.

To ensure the project is successful the charity need to raise approximately £70,000 and is in urgent need of volunteers with building and construction experience.

If this sounds like you, you can make a huge difference to the lives of the people of Madagascar through this kind of project, said Ross Chamberlain, director of Blueprint Construction & Development. “I'm an electrician and general builder as well as SEED trustee,” he said. “Having worked with SEED Madagascar on a number of water, sanitation and building projects, I have first-hand experience of how much difference those with building skills can make in the country. I swapped knowledge with local tradesmen who taught me about their building materials and methods. It was a fascinating and supremely rewarding experience. Whether you can spare a couple of weeks, fund someone’s trip or simply make a donation, this is an incredible cause to get behind.”

Of course it’s not ‘all work and no play’, points out the charity. Whilst helping in Madagascar there’s plenty of opportunity to enjoy the experiences and landscapes the island has to offer, from some of the world’s most stunning beaches, coral reefs and jungles to meeting friendly locals and learning about their culture. And then of course there’s the lemurs. “If people are looking for something exceptionally exciting to do in their time off there is no more charismatic country to visit in the world – from the beautiful isolated beaches and world famous lemurs to charming coastal towns and friendly locals there are few places on Earth that can rival the fascination and adventure found in Madagascar,” said SEED Madagascar managing director Mark Jacobs.

If you work in the industry and feel you have something to offer, whether you’re an individual with relevant skills, a company director who may be able to fund a placement or would simply like to make a donation please contact SEED Madagascar on 020 8960 6629 / info@seedmadagascar.org

There are costs associated with the placements, including flights, but many volunteers cover these through fundraising.

As the charity points out, Madagascar often makes headlines for its wildlife, famed for its diversity of animal species and in particular its lemurs, but the African island is also home to some of the poorest people on the planet. Some 92% of the population live below the poverty line of US$2 a day and as many as four in 10 children in rural areas die before the age of five from easily preventable diseases such as diarrhoea.</s>Madagascar - Senegal : Amath Ndiaye Diedhiou " On sait ce qui nous attend"
Madagascar President Hery Rajaonarimampianina resigns from office in order to contest the November presidential election, as required by the Constitution. Senate president Riko Rakotovao [fr] becomes interim President of Madagascar until the January 2019 inauguration of a new president.