Madagascar's President Wins Re-Election

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar -- Madagascar's president has been re-elected in the Indian Ocean island country, officials said Saturday, as authorities raided a former president's home searching for the leader of a failed coup.

President Marc Ravalomanana, a charismatic dairy tycoon known as the "The Milkman," won 55 percent of the Dec. 3 vote to beat 13 challengers, election officials said. He needed to win at least 50 percent of the vote to avoid a run-off.


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He has promised a five-year development plan to reduce poverty, the dominant issue in a country were 70 percent of the island's 17 million people live on less than $1 a day.

Earlier this week, representatives for Lahiniriko Jean, the former head of the National Assembly, who trailed with 11 percent of the vote, said they would not accept a first-round victory for Ravalomanana because of problems with voter registration and the electoral list.

Election observers said this year's ballot had gone well, but raised concerns about the country's system of requiring candidates to print their own ballots. The government, for the first time, took responsibility for the delivering ballots to polling stations.

Many hoped there would not be a repeat of the fighting that followed the December 2001 elections, when former President Didier Ratsiraka refused to accept defeat to Ravalomanana. Ratsiraka fled to France after months of rival governments in two capitals.

Meanwhile, police searched the property of former President Albert Zafy on Friday as part of an ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of Gen. Randrianafidisoa and opposition politician Pety Rakotoniaina.

Randrianafidisoa, who uses one name only and is known as Gen. Fidy, had called for a coup on Nov. 17, but the attempt failed to garner much support. The general has since been on the run, and authorities are offering $50,000 for information or assistance leading to his arrest.

Randrianafidisoa had been supported by Rakotoniaina, a staunch critic of the government who is wanted in connection with organized car theft and holding an illegal demonstration the day before the election.

Madagascar's L'Expresse newspaper reported that political documents had been seized from Zafy's home, and quoted the former leader as saying he had been informed the raid was in the interests of national security.

"I reject the gesture," Zafy was quoted as saying. "I do not recognize Ravalomanana as president and have not since 2001."

Zafy defeated Ratsiraka to become president in 1993, then was impeached three years later amid accusations of corruption. He ran again in November 1996, losing this time to Ratsiraka.

By JONNY HOGG
The Associated Press

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