Morondava, Madagascar – Mamy Meryson Claver, the fifth candidate running for mayor of Morondava, was arrested again on the night of Thursday, January 2, 2020. He was placed in provisional detention that same evening, although he had been released just the day before the election.
This arrest follows an initial apprehension linked to an illegal collection of voter cards case, accompanied by suspicions of vote buying. The operation was conducted by law enforcement a few days prior to the election deadline.
Authorities have yet to officially disclose the precise reasons for this second arrest, but the case continues to fuel tensions as the municipal election results approach.
Released the day before the election after being apprehended in the voter card collection and vote-buying case, Mamy Meryson Claver, the fifth candidate for Morondava’s mayoralty, was arrested again on the night of Thursday, January 2, 2020. He was placed in provisional detention that very evening.
A Controversial Strategy Raising Concerns
Collecting voter cards was the strategy chosen by this candidate to maximize his chances during the Morondava municipal election. During an investigation conducted in the pre-campaign period, the candidate openly explained his approach:
“To be sure that the people to whom I offer gifts before and during the election are actually able to vote, we must collect their voter cards,” he declared.
The collection of voter cards was indeed carried out systematically, household by household, leaving none of the eighteen fokontany (local administrative units) of the urban commune of Morondava untouched. It would be incorrect to claim that no one was aware of this operation, as the phenomenon caused a considerable stir in the city. The information quickly spread throughout Morondava, prompting numerous comments both in neighborhoods and in the media.
Supporters of the candidate went door-to-door to convince voters. According to the testimony of a resident who wished to remain anonymous, the method used was as follows:
“The candidate needs this card as proof that you are indeed registered on the electoral list. In exchange, you will receive a little something — money or goods. But only those whose cards are collected will benefit. This is not vote buying; it is just a guarantee that you will vote, and you will receive your gift.”
Many voters, feeling pressured, handed over their voter cards, often with the sole hope of receiving a share of the distributed gifts. The candidate’s supporters recorded the names listed on each card in a notebook, which then served as the basis for calculating the distribution of money or goods such as buckets. The cards were kept at a secret location and were not returned to their owners.
During a rally in Ankisirasira Sud, the candidate concluded his speech by saying: “Out of these four hundred people, only the cards we have here count.”
In this fokontany, 1,344 voters were registered; 555 turned out at the two combined polling stations, and the fifth-place candidate received 417 votes. The names collected from the cards thus serve as a reference to determine who will benefit from the distributions.
Candidate Koto II Richard expressed his disagreement with his competitor’s collection of voter cards, calling it an unprecedented practice.
“I have never seen or heard of this procedure since elections began in Madagascar—perhaps elsewhere in Africa,” he said. He also pointed out that “the number of votes obtained by Mamy Claver corresponds precisely to the number of cards collected in each fokontany.”
For this candidate, this method constitutes a “violation of voters’ freedom and calls into question the transparency of the election.”
Complaints and Official Responses
Some cardholders began complaining upon learning that their cards would not be returned until two days before election day. They were told that “one last distribution will take place,” probably at the last minute. This new practice quickly spread throughout Morondava.
During a final consultation meeting organized by the local branch of the CENI (Independent National Electoral Commission) in Morondava, held in the reception hall of Lycée Pôle Morondava with the prefect and election stakeholders present, one candidate publicly denounced Mamy Claver’s card collection on Sunday, November 3, starting at 3 p.m.
Raheriniaina Aurélien, President of the CENI Regional Commission in the Menabe region, responded clearly and firmly: “This is prohibited and illegal.” Nevertheless, the collection continued despite this warning.
In this context, candidate Kolo Frijof, who came in second, sent a letter of inquiry to the Morondava Center for Studies and Documentation (CED). In the letter, he reported the existence of the voter card collection organized by his opponent and sought the CENI’s opinion on the legality of this practice.
The CED forwarded this letter to the CENI headquarters. Since then, it can be considered that the institution responsible for organizing elections in Madagascar has been informed of this issue, even though it did not comment much initially.
The organization Safidy, present as an observer during the Morondava elections, quickly took note of the situation and produced a report. Through awareness campaigns conducted in each fokontany, Safidy informed citizens and monitored the municipal election process in Morondava. Tahindraza Farezy Walter, the lead supervisor of the mission in Morondava, confirmed: “We followed this voter card collection case and reported it to higher authorities.” However, the file remained pending without concrete follow-up. Many now seem to accept this practice as part of the norms of a transparent and accepted election, despite recurring protests during each electoral period.
Official Complaint and Investigation
Faced with this tense situation, the CENI finally decided, through its local branch, to file an official complaint. It was registered with the competent court, and a copy was sent to the Morondava prefecture.
A mixed investigative commission was set up, including investigators from the national gendarmerie, police, and army. Several arrests were made, many cards seized, and multiple testimonies gathered. Among the witnesses were the 18 fokontany chiefs of Morondava, all confirming the presence of this card collection in their respective areas. Others also came forward, claiming their rights had been violated, and testified to facilitate the law enforcement investigation.
The investigation led by the Morondava OMC (Municipal Police) concluded with an arrest followed by a release. Mamy Meryson Claver was publicly presented during a press conference on Saturday afternoon, November 23, 2019, where investigators displayed the seized evidence: voter cards and notebooks containing the lists.
He was held for 48 hours at the gendarmerie office in Morondava before being released on Tuesday, November 26, 2019, the day before the election. News of his release quickly spread around town, attributed to the intervention of a government member and a local elected official from Morondava. However, no one dared to testify publicly, even though the political maneuver was widely known and difficult to contest.
The case thus remained pending, partly under the supervision of the Prosecutor reviewing the file.
Candidate Mamy Meryson Claver considered his release a victory. His supporters widely shared the news via social networks and a private local radio station, strengthening his image in the eastern part of Morondava, where he won significant support.
The results clearly divided the city: the runner-up, IRK, dominated the downtown fokontany, while Mamy Meryson Claver, the fifth candidate, prevailed in the eastern zone of the commune.
Despite political intervention during the first arrest, the Morondava Prosecutor decided to reopen the case. Many questioned: “Who is doing what here? Will the law truly be enforced in Morondava? What is the influence of politicians on the judiciary? Will the legislation regarding the collection of voter cards during each election finally be respected in our country?”
It appears that Morondava’s judiciary asserts its independence. This difficult stance reflects a willingness to uphold the rule of law, even under political pressure from supporters of the ruling power, linked by alliances and interests to candidate Mamy Meryson Claver. These interventions amount to blatant corruption. Some even wonder: “Are there financial interests behind this whole affair?” It indeed seems unlikely that a legitimate politician close to the government would not support the official government candidate while protecting an independent candidate.
On Thursday, January 2, at 9 a.m., Mamy Meryson Claver was arrested in the Andakabe fokontany. Two hours later, he was placed in provisional detention by order of the Morondava Prosecutor.
Supporters Mobilize
The candidate’s close supporters began gathering from the evening of Friday, January 3, at the “Headquarters” in Ambalanomby to demand the release of their candidate, who was arrested and placed in provisional detention. They expressed their demands with banners. The police peacefully dispersed the gathering early in the evening.
Meanwhile, some politicians made statements invoking ethnic considerations to call for the candidate’s release. It should be recalled that this is primarily a political matter.
Infraction or Political Matter?
Opinions differ on the situation. Some claim it is primarily a political settling of scores, emphasizing that the defeated IRD party candidate is trying by these means to block the victory of an independent candidate. However, it is important to note that the candidate in question had already been arrested even before the voting began.
Pressure on Voters
This case constitutes a direct form of pressure on voters, entirely contrary to democratic principles, especially since it is accompanied by cash and buckets distributed specifically to those whose cards were collected. This context clearly illustrates the issue of “vote buying”, a practice that undermines democracy and is fueled by poverty, amounting to a form of corruption.
The candidate did not hide this strategy during his rallies, particularly in eastern Morondava, where he gained his highest number of votes. He publicly declared: “For those of you who have your cards with us, there will be a small distribution, which will take place at (location and time indicated).” He repeatedly insisted: “Be clear, these cards are for you.” Sometimes he even specified a number while warning: “Don’t go elsewhere, you won’t get anything.”
Faced with this situation, the population of Morondava appears largely unresponsive, preoccupied with daily life after many successive celebrations. The candidate’s supporters organized a rally in the neighborhood housing the detained candidate’s campaign office, displaying banners and making statements to some local media. Law enforcement officers were visible, patrolling on foot or in vehicles, and reinforcements from the FIP and FIGN, coming from Antananarivo, also arrived in Morondava to support operations.
Meetings to Seek Solutions
On January 4 and 5, 2020, a series of meetings gathered Morondava’s notables. Twenty of them met the prefect and governor Monday morning at the prefecture, under the prefect’s leadership who opened the session. The notables expressed their concerns about the arrest and provisional detention of Mamy Claver. They believe this situation will favor neither peace nor stability in Morondava and demanded the immediate release of Mamy Claver or, failing that, his provisional release pending trial. Roberto Miadamana, mayor of Bemanonga, publicly expressed the opposition of the “Greater Southeast” region to this arrest, calling to avoid any ethnic instrumentalization in this case.
According to the summary provided by the prefect to journalists, the grievances were received and will undergo thorough examination.
That evening, 69 other notables met at Espace Chris, formalizing six main points in a written document:
This resolution was sent to the governor the following day. Journalists were not allowed to attend the meeting but were given a statement afterward.
Provisional Release of Mamy Claver
News of Mamy Claver’s imminent release suddenly spread in downtown Morondava: he was to be freed on Wednesday, January 8, 2020. Indeed, he was released during the night around 7 p.m.
This release raised many questions. Among them: what is the reality behind this case, which seems to have become a game? When will the file resume its course? Are there hidden political stakes? Has the Prosecutor been pressured? Why is there such relentless pursuit of this candidate? Will he truly have the opportunity to lead the commune, or will he remain under the influence of the ruling power?
The Morondava Prosecutor specified that this release corresponds to provisional freedom.
Is this decision linked to the meeting of notables with local authorities held Monday morning? Impossible to say for now; the case is still ongoing.
Madagascar is a country governed by the rule of law, where respect for judicial independence—through the freedom granted to the judiciary to act and by rigorous oversight of its functioning—is a duty for all, regardless of status or position. All are equal before the law (Article 6 of the Malagasy Constitution).
To date, the trial date has not yet been set, especially since the judiciary is currently in its vacation period.
By : Naboto and Volanamazava
Cover photo source : https://www.voyagemadagascar.com/
