Marc Ravalomanana

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Marc Ravalomanana (born December 12, 1949 in Imerikasina) is a Malagasy politician. He is of the Merina ethnicity. He currently is the President of Madagascar.

He became mayor of the capital, Antananarivo in 1999 and ran for president in the elections of December 16, 2001. He claimed victory, as did incumbent president Didier Ratsiraka. 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 took office 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.