Presidential campaign under high tension
Originally scheduled for November 9, the first round of the Malagasy presidential election has been postponed for a week. The decision reflects the high tension preceding the election, for which thirteen candidates are in the running. But only Andry Rajoelina is campaigning, the others protest against the multiple liberties taken with the constitution by the outgoing president with the obvious aim of influencing the outcome of the election. In recent weeks, several demonstrations organized in Antananarivo to denounce these practices were repressed. Western chancelleries are increasingly concerned about the excesses of the regime. In a press release released on October 16, They point in particular to “the disproportionate use of force to disperse opposition demonstrations”, fearing a blockage of the country following a vote whose results will inevitably be contested.
Spyware used by those in power, selon Mediapart
The online information site Mediapart revealed on October 12 that Madagascar is one of the countries that acquired the Predator spyware from the French company Nexa., with the obvious aim of listening to telephone calls from opponents of President Andry Rajoelina. According to a gendarmerie report cited by Mediapart, this transaction carried out at the end of 2021 after a phase of conclusive tests carried out on site was illegal. The hacking software was notably used to accuse six people of attempted coup d'état and assassination of the president, without much evidence, and to incarcerate a journalist who had revealed the French nationality obtained by the president, theoretically prohibiting him from running in the next election.
Vao Vao Check fights against disinformation
A consortium of journalists launched a platform to combat disinformation at the end of September, Just Checked (“news check”), at the time when, in Madagascar as in many African countries, informational warfare is rife on social networks and in many media serving the political or economic interests of their owners more than their readers or listeners. The project received the support of Actions Médias Francophones, de Transparency International, of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and the International Organization of the Francophonie. The platform is run by 25 journalists trained in fact checking.. It begins its activity at the start of the presidential election campaign, but is intended to last beyond this election.
Incident, Franco-Malagasy university project
The Tranga project (capacity building for transition and energy audit in Madagascar) was officially launched at the beginning of October during the international week organized by the University of Reunion. It is one of the eight winning projects of the national “Partnerships with African higher education” program.. Coordinated by Bretagne Sud University in partnership with the Higher Institute of Technology (IS) of Antananarivo and the University of Reunion, it aims to strengthen Malagasy university offerings in the fields of energy transition and renewable energies. One of the ambitions of the project is the development of a technical platform open to businesses on the IST site..
