NORBERT RATSIRAHONANA

Norbert Ratsirahonana, a prominent Malagasy politician, was born in Antsiranana, Diana Region. He founded and led the Asa Vita no Ifampitsarana (AVI) Party, an organization that challenged President Didier Ratsiraka's leadership. In 1993, Ratsirahonana’s political influence contributed to the election of Albert Zafy as president, aligning his party with a coalition that supported Zafy's campaign. Shortly afterward, he was appointed President of the High Constitutional Court, playing a crucial role in Madagascar's political landscape.

In May 1996, following a no-confidence vote that removed the prime minister, Zafy appointed Ratsirahonana to fill the position. However, shortly after this appointment, President Zafy was impeached, and on September 5, 1996, Ratsirahonana assumed the role of Acting President. He then entered the November 1996 presidential election but finished fourth, garnering 10.14% of the vote. During the election's second round, he supported Zafy, but Didier Ratsiraka narrowly won. On February 9, 1997, Ratsirahonana handed over the presidency to Ratsiraka, ending his brief tenure as the country's leader. He was also replaced as Prime Minister less than two weeks later, when Ratsiraka appointed a close ally to the position. Although AVI became the main opposition party, it struggled to gain significant traction, securing only 13 out of 150 parliamentary seats in the 1998 election.

Ratsirahonana continued to be a key opposition figure and took on the role of Chairman of the National Executive Committee of the Panorama Group opposition coalition in September 1997. He initially entered the 2001 presidential race but later withdrew to endorse Marc Ravalomanana, who won the election. Under Ravalomanana’s administration, Ratsirahonana was appointed as a “roaming ambassador.” However, by 2006, he resigned from his post and ran again in the December 2006 presidential election, where he placed fifth with 4.22% of the vote. His strongest support came from Antananarivo Province, where he received 7.14% of the votes.

During Madagascar's 2009 political crisis, Ratsirahonana was present when the military transferred power to Andry Rajoelina, the opposition leader, on March 17. He served as master of ceremonies for the event. Following this transition, Rajoelina established the High Authority of the Transition (HAT) as the new governing body, and on March 31, 2009, Ratsirahonana was appointed as one of the HAT's 44 members, marking his continued influence in Malagasy politics.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norbert_Ratsirahonana