STORY: Top Madagascar court confirms Rajoelina's re-election as president
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 1, 2023
DATELINE: Dec. 3, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:54
LOCATION: Antananarivo
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. SOUNDBITE (Malagasy): ANDRY RAJOELINA, President-elect of Madagascar
2. various of Rajoelina
3. various of people inside HCC's building

STORYLINE:

Madagascar's High Constitutional Court (HCC) on Friday confirmed President Andry Rajoelina's victory in the Nov. 16 presidential election.

According to the final results proclaimed by the HCC, Rajoelina secured 58.96 percent of the votes cast, surpassing the required 50 percent threshold for a first-round victory.
   
"I will be the president of all the Malagasy people," Rajoelina told reporters on Friday. He highlighted initial priorities for his new mandate, particularly focusing on "assisting the most disadvantaged and revitalizing industrialization."
   
He also called on "all those willing to contribute to the country's development" to offer their support.
   
SOUNDBITE (Malagasy): ANDRY RAJOELINA, President-elect of Madagascar
"During last month, I was able to notice that the Malagasy people want the continuity of the efforts that are already being made by the current government. And we have a lot to do to fight poverty and take a closer look at the difficulties facing the Malagasy population."

Several diplomatic representations in Antananarivo, including the United States and the European Union, issued a joint statement acknowledging the final results published by the HCC.
   
Madagascar conducted its first round of the presidential election on Nov. 16, involving 13 candidates vying for the national leadership for the next five years.
   
Several candidates, including two former presidents, Marc Ravalomanana and Hery Rajaonarimampianina, had called for the election's postponement and urged their supporters to refrain from voting as they argued that Rajoelina should be disqualified from the election because he had obtained French citizenship. Nevertheless, the country's highest court ruled Rajoelina eligible last month.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Antananarivo.
(XHTV)