Ravalomanana - "The People Deserve Credible Choice"

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar, August 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Mouvance Ravalomanana has commissioned a national opinion poll to seek the views of the Malagasy people concerning the present political crisis. Key data is now released in the hope that the people will be allowed to decide who their next President should be in a free and fair election process. The recent decisions of the CES will disenfranchise millions of voters of their first choice candidates. The opinion poll reveals:

• 47% of people think the most important problem facing the country is the political crisis.
• 91% of people think the country is moving in the wrong direction.
• 88% of people think the economic situation has got worse during the last four years.
• 72% of people think the economic situation of their family has got worse these last four years.
• Only 15% of people think the national economic situation will get better in the coming year.
• 81% of people say they want to vote in the coming elections.
• 77% of people think that the international community has interfered too much.

When asked to compare successes of the governments of Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina:

Creating jobs                                            57%                17%
    Attracting foreign investment                            57%                14%
    Healthcare                                               23%                54%
    Protecting civil rights                                  38%                33%
    Improving quality of life                                46%                21%
    Fighting corruption                                      47%                16%
    Reducing poverty                                         52%                16%

Asked what the people of Madagascar think about Neny Ravalomanana:

• 52% think she can restore confidence within the international community.
• 58% think she can better attract foreign investment.
• 62% think she can create jobs and cut unemployment.

In addition 61% of people think that Andry Rajoelina cannot be trusted because he broke his promise not to stand for President. Whilst under Rajoelina's leadership 64% of people think Madagascar's standing in the international community has fallen.

The poll also reveals that the two most popular candidates are Andry Rajoelina and Mme Neny Ravalomanana, with the next most popular candidate only achieving 7% support.

If the forthcoming election is to have any credibility then the voters of Madagascar must be given a truly representative list of candidates from which to choose their next President.

Notes to editors:

1. A national sample of 1,000 interviews was conducted between 22^nd July and 5^th August, and the margin of error was +/- 3.16%. Mouvance Ravalomanana asked the British company Bell Pottinger to commission the opinion poll and the survey itself was overseen by Williams & Associates of Massachusetts, USA. Interviews were conducted in French and local dialects as appropriate.
2. A selection of slides, with methodology, are available in pdf format at http://www.ravalomanana2013.com.
3. Madame Lalao Ravalomanana is the Presidential Candidate for the Mouvance Ravalomanana, a growing coalition of political parties dedicated to bringing a secure, peaceful and prosperous future to Madagascar. For high resolution images free to download, visit the Mouvance Ravalomanana Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/96646855@N04/

For press enquiries, please e-mail [e-mail] or call [phone].