what happened last week in Asia, Africa and the Americas

Hey, this is Sham Jaff, your very own news curator. Each week, I highlight some of the biggest stories from regions and countries that are historically underreported in Western media. My goal is to burst our Western-centric bubbles, and expand the view we hold of the world we share with one another. Questions, comments, concerns? You can reach me anytime by replying to this mail. And if this newsletter was forwarded to you, you sign up at whathappenedlastweek.com.

Today in the newsletter: Issue #359 is looking at Madagascar's latest election results, because one guy got it all: Andry Rajoelina, the Madaga-Star of the island nation. It was a pretty controversial election, and there was little to no coverage of it here in the West.

Madagascar’s election results are 99% in

What happened
Andry Rajoelina just won another term as Madagascar's president, the national election commission said. The election was a bit unusual this time – almost all the opposition candidates didn't participate.

Why this matters
This election's a big deal for Madagascar. It's not just about who's in charge – it's about keeping democracy on track. If this election is "peaceful", it would be the second time since that big coup in 2009 (135 people died then) that power's shifted without any fuss. Some experts call that democratic consolidation, aka they then know that 'yes, democracy works here.' Plus, Madagascar is really struggling economically and is ranked among the poorest countries in the world. Some 29 million people live here.

Tell me more
Rajoelina got just under 60% of the votes in the November 16 election. These are the initial numbers, and they still need the official thumbs up from the constitutional court. Voter turnout wasn't great, only about 46%. The election folks say that's because of the whole political vibe and some behind-the-scenes influencing. With 11 million voters, Rajoelina faced off against 12 others, but ten of those guys basically called the election a joke and didn't even bother to campaign. Rajoelina's pretty chuffed about winning, saying it's a vote for staying the course.

Who's Andry Rajoelina?
Andry Nirina Rajoelina is a French-Malagasy businessman and politician, who's been President of Madagascar twice – first from 2009 to 2014 (The Guardian called him 'Africa's youngest president' back then), and then again from 2019 to 2023. Rajoelina was born in 1974 into a pretty well-off family in Antsirabe. His dad, a retired colonel with French roots, fought in the Algerian War. Before all this president business, he was the big boss of Antananarivo (the country's capital) and even had a gig as a DJ. But it's not all smooth sailing – he's got a bunch of critics who aren't too happy about how he's handling the country's resources, like those precious rosewood forests.

What does the opposition say?
Oh, they're not having any of it. They're basically saying, "What election? We don't recognize these results." They're pretty worried about what all this means for the country's stability. One of the candidates even went to the High Constitutional Court to try and get the whole thing canceled. In the run-up to the election, there were loads of protests, mostly without permission, and the police stepped in quite a bit . There's also this twist about Rajoelina having French nationality, which could technically disqualify him. But the election commission insists everything was above board.

What about the Malagasy people?
Well, it's a mixed bag. Some folks, like Voahirana Ravaoharisoa, a homeless woman, feel like it doesn't really matter who wins; life's going to be tough either way. But then you have people like Alphonse Raharindra Mirah, a courier, who's really happy about Rajoelina winning again. He thinks the president's done some good stuff and is looking forward to more positive changes. The constitutional court has nine days to confirm the results announced on Saturday by Madagascar's electoral body, Ceni.

"Fun" fact: Remember when COVID-19 hit? Well, in 2020, Rajoelina made headlines with his launch of "Covid-Organics," this herbal tea touted as a cure. It was a big deal – the army even helped distribute it, and schools made it a must-drink. But here's the catch: it wasn't scientifically proven, and health experts, including the World Health Organization (WHO), were pretty skeptical.

Thanks for reading.

You're reading the Free version of this newsletter. Sign up to become a VIP Member to access much more curated global news. 1.50€/per issue, if you're on the yearly plan.

If you like this newsletter, I'd appreciate your support. Here are three easy ways you can support the newsletter:

Forward this mail to a friend
Talk about it online and tag me (Instagram, Twitter)
Become a VIP Member of the newsletter

What do VIP Members get?

More deep-dive analyses – Detailed breakdowns and analyses of major political events, like Liberian politics and the Myanmar pro-democracy movement
Hand-picked recommendations – Hidden gems with our recommendations, including investigative podcasts, viral music videos, top hits and visually stunning documentaries on global issues
Global roundup – Essential snapshot of the world's most impactful news, categorized in 'bad', 'we'll see' and 'good' news
Access to archive – Access to six months of previous issues
Humor highlight – Fun news as a light-hearted touch to the end of your global news journey

Your subscription supports the extensive research and effort that goes into delivering high-quality, independent journalism.

I can't afford to become a VIP Member
If you can’t afford to become a VIP Member at the current rate, no matter the reason, please reply to this mail. I’ll be happy to give you a significant discount to a subscription to the newsletter. This offer is extended especially for college students and recent grads, but is open to anyone.

Copyright © 2023 what happened last week?, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website, and you care about getting news about the "Global South".

Our mailing address is:

what happened last week?

Mussehlstrasse 25

Berlin 12101

Germany

Add us to your address book

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

what happened last week - Madaga-Star Andry Rajoelina

what happened last week in Asia, Africa and the Americas

Madagascar’s election results are 99% in

Older messages

whlw x Black Friday

Liberia's democracy 1 – Trump 0

Kenya plant some trees?

The Indian prime minister is a singer now, kind of

A video message from me

You Might Also Like

☕ Après-fee

Best-Of Global Journalism 2024

Open Thread 363

Pornhub pulls out of Florida, VPN demand 'surges 1150%' [Mon Jan 6 2025]

Monday Briefing: How Trump re-wrote Jan. 6

GeekWire's Most-Read Stories of the Week

For an organized closet

Icy Roads, Popeye in the Public Domain, and Christmas Trees for Elephants

☕ No appetite

Can the U.S. outpace China in AI? Microsoft offers a blueprint