Marc Ravalomanana

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Marc Ravalomanana

9th President of Madagascar
Incumbent
Assumed office May 6, 2002
Preceded by	Didier Ratsiraka
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	December 12, 1949 Imerinkasinina, Madagascar
Spouse	Lalao Ravalomanana

Marc Ravalomanana (born December 12, 1949 in Imerinkasinina) is a Malagasy politician. He comes from the Merina ethnicity.^[1] He is currently the President of Madagascar; he took office in 2002, during a dispute over the results of the December 2001 presidential election in which he successfully pressed his claim to have won a majority in the first round. He was re-elected in December 2006, again with a majority in the first round.

Before entering politics, Ravalomanana was a wealthy, self-made businessman who founded the island's largest dairy company, Tiko.^[1] He started his business career selling yogurt from his bicycle before he received a loan from the World Bank that enabled him to buy a factory.^[2] In 1999 he ran for the office of mayor of the capital, Antananarivo, and won.^[1]^[3] As mayor he was credited with successfully cleaning up the capital.^[1]^[2] He announced on August 5, 2001 that he would run for president in the election to be held later that year on December 16; two months later, polls showed him to be ahead of the incumbent president, Didier Ratsiraka. Following the election, official results put Ravalomanana in first place, with 46%, against Ratsiraka's 40%; without a majority, a run-off would be required between the two. Ravalomanana, however, claimed to have won a majority in the first round, and he refused to participate in a run-off, instead demanding that the High Constitutional Court review the votes. Ratsiraka's supporters then blockaded the capital, which Ravalomanana's supporters controlled. Ravalomanana declared himself president on February 22, 2002. After a recount, on April 29, 2002 the High Constitutional Court pronounced Ravalomanana the winner of the election, and he was sworn in for a second time on May 6. The presidency remained disputed, however, until fighting forced Ratsiraka to flee into exile on July 5, 2002, after he had lost control of most of the country's provinces.^[3]

Ravalomanana is credited with improving the country's infrastructure, such as roads, along with making improvements in education and health, but has faced criticism for his lack of progress against poverty; purchasing power is said to have declined during his time in office.^[4]^[5] On November 18, 2006, his plane was forced to divert from Madagascar's capital during a return trip from Europe following reports of a coup underway in Antananarivo and shooting near the airport;^[6] however, this alleged coup attempt was unsuccessful.

Ravalomanana ran for a second term in the presidential election held on December 3, 2006, and according to official results he won the election with 54.8% of the vote in the first round.^[7] He was sworn in for his second term on January 19, 2007.^[8]

Ravalomanana is known for his fervent Christian faith.^[3] In office, he has been outspoken about his religion and has said that he "dream[s] of a Christian nation"; critics say that this is in violation of the constitution, according to which the state is secular.^[9]