Madagascar's incumbent president Andry Rajoelina has been declared the of its election by the country's High Constitutional Court The court on Friday handed him a third term after dismissing various challenges to provisional results of the November 16 election. "Andry Rajoelina is elected as the president of the republic of Madagascar and is taking his functions as soon as the swearing (in is conducted)," said court head Florent Rakotoarisoa. Rajoelina received 58.96 per cent of the votes cast, the court said. The challenges to the electoral body's provisional count that were dismissed included one from the runner-up, lawmaker Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko. He got 14.39 per cent of the vote, according to the court. Ten out of 13 candidates boycotted the poll but their names were already on the ballot, leaving them to share the rest of the votes cast. "The election took place peacefully, and it is proof that democracy in Madagascar and the Malagasy people have reached political maturity," Rajoelina told journalists outside the courtroom. "There will be some changes but you don't change a winning team either," he said. The November election was preceded by weeks of protests, with the opposition accusing Rajoelina of having created unfair election conditions, and turn-out was less than 50 per cent. Rajoelina has dismissed allegations the vote was unfair and the army has warned against attempts to destabilise the country. Nine foreign embassies, including the United States, United Kingdom and European Union countries, issued a joint statement "noting" the final results. Rajoelina, 49, first came to power in a 2009 coup. He stepped down in 2014 as leader of a transitional authority but then became president again after winning a 2018 election. Australian Associated Press
