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{{Short description|Malagasy politician (born 1938)}}

'''Norbert Lala Ratsirahonana''' (born [[November 18]] [[1938]]) was a [[Madagascar|Madagascan]] politician.

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Norbert Lala Ratsirahonana

| image = Norbert Ratsirahonana - 1996.jpg

| caption = Ratsirahonana in 1996

| order = Acting

| office = President of Madagascar

| term_start = 5 September 1996

| term_end = 9 February 1997

| primeminister = ''Himself''

| predecessor = [[Albert Zafy]]

| successor = [[Didier Ratsiraka]]

| order2 = 16th

| office2 = Prime Minister of Madagascar

| term_start2 = 28 May 1996

| term_end2 = 21 February 1997

| president2 = [[Albert Zafy]]<br>''Himself'' {{small|(acting)}}<br>[[Didier Ratsiraka]]

| predecessor2 = [[Emmanuel Rakotovahiny]]

| successor2 = [[Pascal Rakotomavo]]

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1938|11|18|df=y}}

| birth_place = [[Antsiranana]], [[French Madagascar]]

| party = [[Judged by Your Work Party]] (AVI)

}}

'''Norbert Lala Ratsirahonana''' (born 18 November 1938) is a Malagasy politician who served as the 16th [[prime minister of Madagascar]] and acting [[List of presidents of Madagascar|president of Madagascar]] from 1996 to 1997.

He was born in [[Antsiranana]]. He founded and led the Asa Vita no Ifapitsarana (Judged By Your Work) Party, which opposed President [[Didier Ratsiraka]]. He and his party were part of the coalition which elected [[Albert Zafy]] to the presidency in 1993. Ratsirahonana then became president of the constitutional court.

==Life and career==

On [[May 28]] [[1996]], when the prime minister was deposed by Parliament in a no confidence vote, Zafy appointed Ratsirahonana to the post. Soon afterward, Zafy was impeached, and on September 5, 1996, Ratsirahonana became acting President of Madagascar. Presidential elections were held in December 1996, in which Ratsirahonana ran, against four other candidates including former Presidents Zafy and Ratsiraka. Ratsirahonana received fourth place and 10% of the vote. Ratsiraka won and Ratsirahonana left office as President on February 9, 1997. Twelve days later, he also lost his position as prime ministerr when Ratsiraka appointed one of his own allies. The AVI then became the main opposition party, though it became very weak, winning only 13 of the 150 seats in the 1998 parliamentary elections.

He was born in [[Antsiranana]]., [[Diana Region]] He founded and led the ''[[Judged By Your Work Party|Asa Vita no IfapitsaranaIfampitsarana]]'' (Judged By Your Work) Party, which opposed President [[Didier Ratsiraka]]. He and his party were part of the coalition which elected [[Albert Zafy]] to the presidency in 1993. Ratsirahonana then became presidentPresident of the constitutionalHigh Constitutional courtCourt.

On 28 May 1996, when the prime minister was deposed by Parliament in a no confidence vote, Zafy appointed Ratsirahonana to the post. Soon afterward, Zafy was impeached and, on 5 September 1996, Ratsirahonana became acting [[President of Madagascar]]. A [[1996 Malagasy presidential election|presidential election]] was held on 3 November 1996, in which Ratsirahonana ran, taking fourth place (behind Ratsiraka, Zafy and [[Herizo Razafimahaleo]]) and 10.14% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://democratie.francophonie.org/IMG/pdf/Presidentielles_du_29_decembre_1996.pdf |title="Rapport de la Mission d'Observation de l'Élection Présidentielle du 29 décembre 1996 (2è tour)" }}&nbsp;{{small|(86.7&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]])}}, democratie.francophonie.org {{in lang|fr}}.</ref><ref name=DB>[http://africanelections.tripod.com/mg.html Elections in Madagascar], African Elections Database.</ref> Ratsirahonana backed Zafy in the second round, which was held on 29 December, but Ratsiraka narrowly prevailed;<ref>Philip M. Allen, "Madagascar: Impeachment as Parliamentary Coup d'Etat", in ''Checking Executive Power: Presidential Impeachment in Comparative Perspective'' (2003), ed. Jody C. Baumgartner, Naoko Kada, page 91. {{ISBN|0-275-97927-X}}</ref> Ratsirahonana left office as President when Ratsiraka was sworn in, on 9 February 1997. Twelve days later, he also lost his position as Prime Minister when Ratsiraka appointed one of his own allies. The AVI then became the main opposition party, though it became very weak, winning only 13 of the 150 seats in the 1998 parliamentary election.

In 2001, Ratsirahonana and the AVI supported [[Marc Ravalomanana]] in the presidential elections. When he won, Ratsirahonana had the AVI disbanded.

[[Category:Madagascar]]

Ratsirahonana became Chairman of the National Executive Committee of the Panorama Group opposition coalition in September 1997.<ref>"Opposition coalition appoints leaders, reaffirms policy", Malagasy National Radio, 20 September 1997.</ref>

Ratsirahonana withdrew from the [[2001 Malagasy presidential election|December 2001 presidential election]] and endorsed the candidacy of [[Marc Ravalomanana]].<ref name=Cornwall>Richard Cornwell, {{cite web |url= http://www.iss.org.za/Pubs/Papers/68/Paper68.PDF |title= Madagascar: Stumbling at the first hurdle? |url-status= dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20120205204002/http://www.iss.org.za/Pubs/Papers/68/Paper68.PDF |archivedate= 2012-02-05 }}&nbsp;{{small|(178&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]])}}, ISS Paper 68, April 2003.</ref> He was appointed as the president's "roaming ambassador" under the Ravalomanana administration. In 2006, however, Ratsirahonana resigned from his office; in August 2006 he announced his candidacy for the [[2006 Malagasy general election|December 2006 presidential election]].<ref>[http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=qw1155388682957B253 "Former Madagascar PM to run for president"], Reuters, August 12, 2006.</ref> According to official results, he received 4.22% of the vote and took fifth place. His best result was in [[Antananarivo Province]], where he received 7.14% of the vote.<ref>[http://www.hcc.gov.mg/election-2006/resultat-2006.php 2006 presidential election results] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414171605/http://www.hcc.gov.mg/election-2006/resultat-2006.php |date=2012-04-14 }} from the High Constitutional Court {{in lang|fr}}.</ref>

Amidst the [[2009 Malagasy protests|2009 political crisis]], when the military announced that it was installing opposition leader [[Andry Rajoelina]] as head of state on 17 March 2009, Ratsirahonana was present as master of ceremonies.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090319153659/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hfV75EHUookBtBk2OlprGZBpDTzgD9702PV01 "Army puts Madagascar opposition leader in charge"], Associated Press, March 17, 2009.</ref> Rajoelina then set up the [[High Authority of the Transition]] (HAT) as the ruling body, and Ratsirahonana was appointed as one of the HAT's 44 members on 31 March 2009.<ref>Andry Ratovo, [http://www.lexpressmada.com/index.php?p=display&id=25478 "Un Tim et un Grad Iloafo dans la liste"], ''L'Express de Madagascar'', April 1, 2009 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref>

==References==

{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-off}}

{{s-bef | before = [[Albert Zafy]]}}

{{s-ttl | title = [[President of Madagascar]] (acting) | years = 1996-1997 }}

{{s-aft | after = [[Didier Ratsiraka]]}}

{{s-bef | before = [[Emmanuel Rakotovahiny]]}}

{{s-ttl | title = [[Prime Minister of Madagascar]] | years = 1996–1997 }}

{{s-aft | after = [[Pascal Rakotomavo]]}}

{{s-end}}

{{Madagascar Presidents}}

{{MadagascarPMs}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ratsirahonana, Norbert}}

[[Category:1938 births]]

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:People from Antsiranana]]

[[Category:Merina people]]

[[Category:Judged by Your Work Party politicians]]

[[Category:Christian Peace Conference members]]

[[Category:Prime ministers of Madagascar]]