Pierrot Rajaonarivelo

Pierrot Jocelyn Rajaonarivelo (born 1946 [http://pierrot-rajaonarivelo.org/bio2.php Biography at official site] (in French).] ) is a Malagasy politician and National Secretary of the AREMA party. He served as Deputy Prime Minister under former president Didier Ratsiraka and was seen by many as the main potential challenger to current President Marc Ravalomanana in the December 2006 presidential election,Ed Harris, [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=qw1160370182571B253 "Madagascar airport shut to stop Rajaonarivelo"] , Reuters ("IOL"), October 9, 2006.] [http://www.afrol.com/articles/22089 "Madagascar court rejects polls challenger, clears 14"] , afrol News, October 20, 2006.] but was barred from standing.

Rajaonarivelo was born on the island of Sainte-Marie. He served as ambassador to the United States from December 20 1989 [ [http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/ERC/travel/dip_list/9505/s1.html "May 1995 Diplomatic List"] , U.S. Department of State.] to 1997. Following the election of Ratsiraka as president, he became Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the Budget and Decentralization in the government named on February 27 1997, [ [http://afriquepluriel.ruwenzori.net/madaga-c.htm "Le Pays de 1982 à 1997"] , afriquepluriel.ruwenzori.net fr icon.] remaining in that position until 2002. On November 29 1997 he was elected National Secretary of AREMA at a national congress of the party. ["Madagascar: Ruling party conference revamps party, elects new head", Malagasy National Radio, Antananarivo, December 1, 1997.] ["Dec 1997 - Changes in structure of AREMA", Keesing's Record of World Events, Volume 43, December, 1997 Madagascar, Page 41948.]

Following the December 2001 presidential election, a dispute arose between Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana regarding the results; after months of struggle, this dispute led to defeat for Ratsiraka and his supporters. A few days before Ratsiraka fled Madagascar in early July 2002, with the situation having turned clearly in Ravalomanana's favor, Rajaonarivelo announced his willingness to work with Ravalomanana. [ [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=qw102552012128B253 "13 dead as Ravalomanana's troops move on port"] , AFP ("IOL"), July 1, 2002.] Like Ratsiraka, however, Rajaonarivelo went into exile in France when Ravalomanana prevailed. While in exile, Rajaonarivelo was sentenced to five years in prison on March 14 2003 for abuse of office; [ [http://www.presse-francophone.org/agence/archivesmois/politique/polaout03.htm "L'ex-président Ratsiraka condamné par contumace"] , UPF (presse-francophone.org), August 7, 2003 fr icon.] [ [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2003/27736.htm U.S. State Department report on human rights practices in Madagascar in 2003] .] he was subsequently convicted on charges of misuse of funds in August 2006 and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor, as well as barred from holding public office. Rajaonarivelo faces arrest upon return to Madagascar; he says the charges against him were politically motivated.

In spite of the convictions and sentences, Rajaonarivelo sought to run for president in 2006; he officially announced his candidacy on May 26 2006. On October 7, 2006, he attempted to return to Madagascar from nearby Réunion to register as a presidential candidate before the October 14 deadline, [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=qw1160658361124B253 "Exiled Rajaonarivelo barred anew from return"] , AFP ("IOL"), October 12, 2006.] although his spokesman said he was afraid of being met by a "death squad" upon arrival; the airport at Toamasina was closed to prevent his arrival, however. He then went to Mauritius and tried again to return to Madagascar on October 12, but he was not allowed to board a flight by Air Mauritius, being described as a security risk; this measure had been requested by the government in Madagascar. Because he could not reach Madagascar, he could not sign his registration papers personally, and on October 18 he was barred from participating in the election by the Constitutional Court for that reason. Rajaonarivelo said that "by preventing my participation Marc Ravalomanana's regime invalidates the election", and he accused the international community of supporting "tyrannical practices" with "complicit silence". [Ed Harris, [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=qw116132706060B253 "Polls invalid without me, says Rajaonarivelo"] , Reuters ("IOL"), October 20, 2006.]

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