Six prominent presidential candidates in&nbsp;Madagascar&nbsp;told AFP on Monday they plan to boycott this week's elections, worsening a political crisis engulfing the country.

The six, who are part of a larger grouping of opposition candidates holding almost daily protests for weeks, said they will not take part in Thursday's vote and will urge their supporters not to cast their ballot.&nbsp;

"We will call (on people) not to go and vote," said presidential hopeful Marc Ravalomanana, 73, one of two former presidents to join calls for a boycott.&nbsp;

The Indian Ocean island nation has been shaken by a fierce battle between President Andry Rajoelina, who is running for re-election, and most opposition leaders.

Almost all the 12 opposition candidates in the running have led near daily, unauthorised marches in Antananarivo, for more than a month, protesting at what they have called an "institutional coup" that favours the incumbent.

The demonstrations that have in average drawn a few hundred supporters have been regularly dispersed by police.&nbsp;

On Saturday, security forces fired teargas and detained 11 protesters at yet another rally.&nbsp;

"I will not stand for election, that is very clear," said Hery Rajaonarimampianina, 65, another former president who was in the running to replace Rajoelina.&nbsp;

Last week, the head of the lower house of parliament, who leads a mediation group to find a way out of the crisis, called for the suspension of the presidential elections, to ensure "peace" and "harmony".

"The situation is deleterious. There is no calm, it is not the time to hold elections," said candidate Auguste Paraina, 69. The opposition grouping supports a suspension of the electoral process. &nbsp;

But a spokeswoman for Rajoelina called the request a "far-fetched idea".

The outgoing president held his last campaign rally in Antananarivo on Sunday in front of a fervent crowd of several thousand people donning t-shirts bearing his image.

"I'm going to win, that's for sure, and in the first round," he told AFP in an interview at the weekend.

'Rigged vote'&nbsp;

Rajoelina, 49, became Africa's youngest head of state in 2009 when he took power on the back of a coup.&nbsp;

After not running in the 2013 election due to international pressure, he was voted back into power in 2018 and has since held the reins in a country that remains among the poorest in the world despite vast natural resources.

The show of support for the president at the weekend "means nothing" said Roland Ratsiraka, 57, another opposition candidate, hinting at the common practice of paying people to attend political rallies in the country.&nbsp;

The European Union, the United States and other members of the international community have expressed "deep concern" at the political tensions and denounced the excessive use of force against the opposition.

A source at&nbsp;Madagascar's electoral commission said some irregularities have already been reported, including some would-be voters being pressured not to register.&nbsp;

The crisis erupted in September after Rajoelina resigned in line with the constitution in order to run for re-election.

The president of the Senate was supposed to take over but declined for "personal reasons", leaving the task to a "collegial government" headed by the prime minister, an ally of Rajoelina.

The move was accepted by the Constitutional Court, which also dismissed appeals to have Rajoelina's candidacy declared void over his dual French nationality, sparking opposition anger.

Detractors believe that under local laws the President was to lose Madagascan nationality and with it the ability to lead the country because of the naturalisation, which was revealed by the media in June.&nbsp;

In Itaosy, an eastern suburb of Antananarivo, a few hundred people joined a peaceful opposition march on Monday.

"It's a rigged vote," said Sandra Rafarasoa, 33, standing outside her modest repair shop for two-wheelers.&nbsp;

Voters in&nbsp;Madagascar&nbsp;were initially due to head to the polls on November 9, but the top court in October ordered that the elections be postponed after a presidential candidate was injured during a demonstration.&nbsp;

The date for a potential second round vote on December 20 was kept unchanged.

Thursday's election "will not take place", said Hajo Andrianainarivelo, 56, another opposition candidate.

Six prominent presidential candidates in Madagascar told AFP on Monday they plan to boycott this week's elections, worsening a political crisis engulfing the country.

Six prominent presidential candidates in Madagascar told AFP on Monday they plan to boycott this week's elections, worsening a political crisis engulfing the country. The six, who are part of a larger grouping of opposition candidates holding almost daily protests for weeks, said they will not take part in Thursday's vote and will urge their supporters not to cast their ballot. "We will call (on people) not to go and vote," said presidential hopeful Marc Ravalomanana, 73, one of two former presidents to join calls for a boycott. The Indian Ocean island nation has been shaken by a fierce battle between President Andry Rajoelina, who is running for re-election, and most opposition leaders. Almost all the 12 opposition candidates in the running have led near daily, unauthorised marches in Antananarivo, for more than a month, protesting at what they have called an "institutional coup" that favours the incumbent. The demonstrations that have in average drawn a few hundred supporters have been regularly dispersed by police. On Saturday, security forces fired teargas and detained 11 protesters at yet another rally. "I will not stand for election, that is very clear," said Hery Rajaonarimampianina, 65, another former president who was in the running to replace Rajoelina. Last week, the head of the lower house of parliament, who leads a mediation group to find a way out of the crisis, called for the suspension of the presidential elections, to ensure "peace" and "harmony". "The situation is deleterious. There is no calm, it is not the time to hold elections," said candidate Auguste Paraina, 69. The opposition grouping supports a suspension of the electoral process. But a spokeswoman for Rajoelina called the request a "far-fetched idea". The outgoing president held his last campaign rally in Antananarivo on Sunday in front of a fervent crowd of several thousand people donning t-shirts bearing his image. "I'm going to win, that's for sure, and in the first round," he told AFP in an interview at the weekend. 'Rigged vote' Rajoelina, 49, became Africa's youngest head of state in 2009 when he took power on the back of a coup. After not running in the 2013 election due to international pressure, he was voted back into power in 2018 and has since held the reins in a country that remains among the poorest in the world despite vast natural resources. The show of support for the president at the weekend "means nothing" said Roland Ratsiraka, 57, another opposition candidate, hinting at the common practice of paying people to attend political rallies in the country. The European Union, the United States and other members of the international community have expressed "deep concern" at the political tensions and denounced the excessive use of force against the opposition. A source at Madagascar's electoral commission said some irregularities have already been reported, including some would-be voters being pressured not to register. The crisis erupted in September after Rajoelina resigned in line with the constitution in order to run for re-election. The president of the Senate was supposed to take over but declined for "personal reasons", leaving the task to a "collegial government" headed by the prime minister, an ally of Rajoelina. The move was accepted by the Constitutional Court, which also dismissed appeals to have Rajoelina's candidacy declared void over his dual French nationality, sparking opposition anger. Detractors believe that under local laws the President was to lose Madagascan nationality and with it the ability to lead the country because of the naturalisation, which was revealed by the media in June. In Itaosy, an eastern suburb of Antananarivo, a few hundred people joined a peaceful opposition march on Monday. "It's a rigged vote," said Sandra Rafarasoa, 33, standing outside her modest repair shop for two-wheelers. Voters in Madagascar were initially due to head to the polls on November 9, but the top court in October ordered that the elections be postponed after a presidential candidate was injured during a demonstration. The date for a potential second round vote on December 20 was kept unchanged. Thursday's election "will not take place", said Hajo Andrianainarivelo, 56, another opposition candidate.

Six presidential candidates in Madagascar call for election boycott

Tunisia held its general elections on Saturday with the opposition calling for a boycott over the seemingly powerless nature of the mandate. According to local experts, the polls are being considered to be the final move for President Kais Saied to consolidate his power. Tunisia emerged as a democracy from the Arab Spring but since then, widespread corruption has become a norm for the country and the opposition complained that the elections were merely a part of the “coup”.

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The allegations came amid Tunisia’s ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding a possible $2 billion bailout package. A source close to the developments told AFP that the plan was on the verge of getting the green light but it was postponed till January 2023 at the request of the Tunisian government. As a result, a major part of the campaign by the ruling government focused on keeping a stable government in order to ensure the IMF funds.

Apart from the sparse meetings, Reuters reported that Tunisia did not witness much campaigning from the parties, pointing towards a lacklustre view of the elections. Even the population did not show enthusiasm in voting and local media reports claimed that turnout was quite low.

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In the past few years, Saied has changed the constitution to allow unlimited powers to the presidency and that has left the parliament with not much say in the matters. While the citizens did back his plans initially, economic crisis and corruption have changed the perspective quite a bit.

According to AFP, the other major change in the Tunisian parliament is the skewed sex ratio when it comes to legislators. While the previous system called for equal representation, the new rules have changed it completely and data suggests that women made up only 15 per cent of the total number of new candidates. 
&nbsp;

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Tunisia held its general elections on Saturday with the opposition calling for a boycott over the seemingly powerless nature of the mandate. According to local experts, the polls are being considered to be the final move for President Kais Saied to consolidate his power.

Tunisia held its general elections on Saturday with the opposition calling for a boycott over the seemingly powerless nature of the mandate. According to local experts, the polls are being considered to be the final move for President Kais Saied to consolidate his power. Tunisia emerged as a democracy from the Arab Spring but since then, widespread corruption has become a norm for the country and the opposition complained that the elections were merely a part of the “coup”. Also read | Twitter Files 6.0 exposes FBI's deep engagements with tech giant The allegations came amid Tunisia’s ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding a possible $2 billion bailout package. A source close to the developments told AFP that the plan was on the verge of getting the green light but it was postponed till January 2023 at the request of the Tunisian government. As a result, a major part of the campaign by the ruling government focused on keeping a stable government in order to ensure the IMF funds. Apart from the sparse meetings, Reuters reported that Tunisia did not witness much campaigning from the parties, pointing towards a lacklustre view of the elections. Even the population did not show enthusiasm in voting and local media reports claimed that turnout was quite low. Also read | US House committee likely to press criminal charges against Trump: Report In the past few years, Saied has changed the constitution to allow unlimited powers to the presidency and that has left the parliament with not much say in the matters. While the citizens did back his plans initially, economic crisis and corruption have changed the perspective quite a bit. According to AFP, the other major change in the Tunisian parliament is the skewed sex ratio when it comes to legislators. While the previous system called for equal representation, the new rules have changed it completely and data suggests that women made up only 15 per cent of the total number of new candidates.

Tunisia holds polls, opposition terms the exercise farce, calls for its boycott over economic crisis

Polls closed in Bahrain Saturday after a parliamentary election marred by boycott calls from dissolved opposition groups banned from taking part.

The country's two main opposition groups, the Shiite Al-Wefaq and secular Waad, were barred from fielding candidates.

Counting got underway after a day of voting in the tiny Gulf kingdom, with preliminary results expected Sunday.&nbsp;

King Hamad in September urged voters to take part in the vote, in which officials say 293 people -- including 41 women -- are running for parliament.

A municipal poll coincides with the parliamentary vote.&nbsp;

Justice Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ali al-Khalifa announced a preliminary voter turnout of 67 per cent, saying it was "well above" the 53 per cent turnout registered during the last elections in 2014.

But Al-Wefaq poured scorn on those figures, saying in a tweet that there was a "wide boycott" and accusing authorities of "forcing" people to vote.

Bahrain has been hit by ongoing unrest since 2011, when security forces crushed Shiite-led protests demanding a constitutional monarchy and an elected prime minister.

The authorities have repeatedly accused Shiite-dominated Iran of stoking unrest, allegations denied by Tehran.&nbsp;

Opposition parties shunned the last elections in 2014, the first since the 2011 crackdown, denouncing the vote as a "farce".

More than 350,000 Bahrainis were eligible to vote, the justice minister said, adding that there were 54 polling stations across the country.&nbsp;

On Saturday, the interior ministry alleged Iran was meddling in the ballot after people reportedly received text messages warning them not to go vote as they had been stricken from the electoral roll.

The ministry said Tehran was behind around 40,000 texts sent to Bahraini citizens that "aimed to negatively affect" the elections, adding that other messages came from people inside the kingdom.&nbsp;

'No substance'

At least six people were detained and charged this month for "obstructing the electoral process", according to Bahrain's public prosecutor.

One of the six was Ali Rashed al-Asheeri, a former member of parliament with Al-Wefaq, according to the London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy.&nbsp;

Asheeri had tweeted that he and his family would boycott the polls.

Al-Wefaq called for a boycott of this year's parliamentary election after a law issued in June barred "leaders and members of political associations dissolved for violating the kingdom's constitution or its laws" from fielding candidates.

Experts have questioned the value of a parliamentary election in which the opposition is not allowed to participate.

Neil Partrick, a specialist in Gulf Arab politics, said Bahrain's elections "have lost all practical and political meaning" since an earlier boycott by Al-Wefaq -- the main movement representing the country's Shiite population.

"The subsequent outlawing of Al-Wefaq, and of the relatively liberal, cross-sect, Waad trend, has merely underlined the meaninglessness of Bahraini elections," he said.&nbsp;

He said such polls had "no political or practical substance" regardless of boycott calls.

But the United Arab Emirates state minister for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash disagreed, tweeting that the election in Bahrain had been a "success".

"Bahrain's success is our success," he said.

Since 2011, authorities have imprisoned hundreds of dissidents -- including top Shiite opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman, who headed Al-Wefaq -- and stripped many of their nationality.&nbsp;

Amnesty International said Friday it was "gravely concerned" by Bahrain's suppression of political opposition.

"Over the past two years, the crackdown in Bahrain has seen the political opposition detained, intimidated and silenced," said Devin Kenney, the rights group's Bahrain researcher.

"We call on the authorities to stop this ongoing and escalating repression and to allow free expression of dissenting voices, including those who oppose the monarchy."

Human rights groups have frequently said cases against activists in Bahrain -- men and women, religious and secular -- fail to meet the basic standards of fair trials.

Polls closed in Bahrain Saturday after a parliamentary election marred by boycott calls from dissolved opposition groups banned from taking part. The country's two main opposition groups, the Shiite Al-Wefaq and secular Waad, were barred from fielding candidates.

Polls closed in Bahrain Saturday after a parliamentary election marred by boycott calls from dissolved opposition groups banned from taking part. The country's two main opposition groups, the Shiite Al-Wefaq and secular Waad, were barred from fielding candidates. Counting got underway after a day of voting in the tiny Gulf kingdom, with preliminary results expected Sunday. King Hamad in September urged voters to take part in the vote, in which officials say 293 people -- including 41 women -- are running for parliament. A municipal poll coincides with the parliamentary vote. Justice Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ali al-Khalifa announced a preliminary voter turnout of 67 per cent, saying it was "well above" the 53 per cent turnout registered during the last elections in 2014. But Al-Wefaq poured scorn on those figures, saying in a tweet that there was a "wide boycott" and accusing authorities of "forcing" people to vote. Bahrain has been hit by ongoing unrest since 2011, when security forces crushed Shiite-led protests demanding a constitutional monarchy and an elected prime minister. The authorities have repeatedly accused Shiite-dominated Iran of stoking unrest, allegations denied by Tehran. Opposition parties shunned the last elections in 2014, the first since the 2011 crackdown, denouncing the vote as a "farce". More than 350,000 Bahrainis were eligible to vote, the justice minister said, adding that there were 54 polling stations across the country. On Saturday, the interior ministry alleged Iran was meddling in the ballot after people reportedly received text messages warning them not to go vote as they had been stricken from the electoral roll. The ministry said Tehran was behind around 40,000 texts sent to Bahraini citizens that "aimed to negatively affect" the elections, adding that other messages came from people inside the kingdom. 'No substance' At least six people were detained and charged this month for "obstructing the electoral process", according to Bahrain's public prosecutor. One of the six was Ali Rashed al-Asheeri, a former member of parliament with Al-Wefaq, according to the London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy. Asheeri had tweeted that he and his family would boycott the polls. Al-Wefaq called for a boycott of this year's parliamentary election after a law issued in June barred "leaders and members of political associations dissolved for violating the kingdom's constitution or its laws" from fielding candidates. Experts have questioned the value of a parliamentary election in which the opposition is not allowed to participate. Neil Partrick, a specialist in Gulf Arab politics, said Bahrain's elections "have lost all practical and political meaning" since an earlier boycott by Al-Wefaq -- the main movement representing the country's Shiite population. "The subsequent outlawing of Al-Wefaq, and of the relatively liberal, cross-sect, Waad trend, has merely underlined the meaninglessness of Bahraini elections," he said. He said such polls had "no political or practical substance" regardless of boycott calls. But the United Arab Emirates state minister for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash disagreed, tweeting that the election in Bahrain had been a "success". "Bahrain's success is our success," he said. Since 2011, authorities have imprisoned hundreds of dissidents -- including top Shiite opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman, who headed Al-Wefaq -- and stripped many of their nationality. Amnesty International said Friday it was "gravely concerned" by Bahrain's suppression of political opposition. "Over the past two years, the crackdown in Bahrain has seen the political opposition detained, intimidated and silenced," said Devin Kenney, the rights group's Bahrain researcher. "We call on the authorities to stop this ongoing and escalating repression and to allow free expression of dissenting voices, including those who oppose the monarchy." Human rights groups have frequently said cases against activists in Bahrain -- men and women, religious and secular -- fail to meet the basic standards of fair trials.

Polls close in Bahrain vote hit by boycott calls from dissolved opposition groups