2018 Mayotte's 1st constituency by-election

Last updated
2018 Mayotte's 1st constituency by-election
Flag of France.svg
  2017 18 March 2018 (first round)
25 March 2018 (second round)
2022  
Turnout30.39% Decrease2.svg11.90% (first round)
41.36% Decrease2.svg4.15% (second round)
 No image wide.svgNo image wide.svg
Nominee Ramlati Ali Elad ChakrinaBacar Ali Boto
Party DVG LR DVG
1st round
%
3,875
36.15% Increase2.svg19.31%
3,493
32.59% Increase2.svg15.83%
1,338
12.48% Decrease2.svg3.14%
2nd round
%
8,246
54.77% Increase2.svg4.60%
6,810
45.23% Decrease2.svg4.60%
Eliminated

 
Nominee Daniel Zaïdani
Party DVD
1st round
%
1,305
12.17% Decrease2.svg1.22%
2nd round
%
Eliminated

Deputy before election

Ramlati Ali
LREM

Elected deputy

Ramlati Ali
DVG

A by-election was held in Mayotte's 1st constituency on 18 March 2018, with a second round on 25 March as no candidate secured a majority of votes in the first round. The by-election was called after the Constitutional Council invalidated the election of Ramlati Ali, candidate of the Socialist Party (PS) in the June 2017 legislative elections and member of the La République En Marche group in the National Assembly, on 19 January 2018.

Contents

In the second round on 25 March, Ali was re-elected with 54.99% of the vote.

Background

On the evening of 18 June 2017, Elad Chakrina, candidate of The Republicans (LR), was initially declared the winner of the second round of voting in the legislative elections with 50.04% of votes, with 12 votes separating him from his opponent Ramlati Ali, candidate of the Socialist Party (PS). On 19 June, the result was overturned and Ramlati Ali was declared the winner with 50.17% of the vote, defeating Elad Chakrina by a margin of 54 votes. [1] [2] Elad Chakrina subsequently announced his intention to file an appeal to the Constitutional Council, alleging electoral fraud, claiming that results reported late in the evening from the commune of Bandraboua were "completely falsified". He also claimed that there were also a number of other irregularities that took place, including that a number of proxy votes cast were fraudulent, problematic electoral rolls, ballots that should have been voided, and ballots cast under the names of deceased individuals. [3]

On 19 January 2018, the constitutional council annulled the election of Ramlati Ali on the basis of several complaints, triggering a by-election within the constituency. [2] The decision noted that 25 fewer signatures were found on the electoral roll than the number of ballots found in the ballot boxes in the communes of Mamoudzou, Acoua, Dzaoudzi, Bandraboua, and Mtsamboro. Members of the polling station in Dzaoudzi attempted to rectify an irregularly cast vote by randomly discarding an envelope from the ballot box before counting began, a procedure considered doubly irregular by the constitutional council. Chakrina also claimed at least 40 proxy votes were irregularly cast in Bandraboua on 9 and 16 June 2017, and provided documents relating into a judicial investigation that had been opened to look into the matter. [4] [5]

In addition, Elad Chakrina alleged that Ramlati Ali breached article L. 49 of the electoral code by continuing to conduct her electoral campaign on the Internet through the day of voting, producing three screenshots of a Facebook page of Ramlati Ali's substitute urging people to vote. The constitutional council agreed with this complaint. Chakrina also alleged that Ali's campaign was improperly supported by calls to vote published on 17 June on Ali's Facebook page, among others. [4] [5]

A by-election must be held within three months of the invalidation of the election, as stipulated by article L.O. 178 of the electoral code. [6] Although elected as a member of the Socialist Party, [1] Ramlati Ali joined the La République En Marche group in the National Assembly after her election. Following the decision of the constitutional council, the only two remaining members of the La République En Marche group in the National Assembly representing overseas France are Olivier Serva are Stéphane Claireaux. [6]

On 3 February 2018, the first round of the by-election was scheduled for 18 March 2018, with a second round on 25 March should no candidate secure a majority of votes in the first round. [7] Prospective candidates needed to submit declarations of their candidacies between 19 and 23 February. Polling stations will be open from 8:00 to 18:00 EAT. [8]

Candidates and campaign

Incumbent deputy Ramlati Ali, a 56-year-old former mayor of Pamandzi and head of the medicine, psychiatry and rehabilitation department at the Mayotte Hospital Centre (CHM) who joined La République En Marche! after her election in June 2017, presented herself as a candidate. [9] Ali was placed under formal investigation on 13 February 2018, charged with "complicity in electoral fraud". However, no verdict will be rendered in the case until after the by-election. [10] Due to the judicial affair, Ali did not receive the support of La République En Marche in the by-election, [11] and presented her candidacy without the backing of any party. [9] After the second round, La République En Marche announced its support for Ali in the second round without acknowledging the charges against her. [12] Elad Chakrina, a 37-year-old lawyer and municipal councillor from Tsingoni, [9] [13] contested the constituency once more under the banner of The Republicans (LR) after his successful appeal. [8] During a three-day visit from 5 to 7 March, LR president Laurent Wauquiez denounced the "abandonment" of Mayotte by Macron, [14] saying that the department was "submerged by illegal immigration". [15] On 15 March, Marine Le Pen, president of the National Front (FN), called upon the Mahorais to vote for the LR candidate; though the party neither officially endorsed nor rejected the support of the FN, [16] several LR personalities rejected the FN's support for Chakrina. [17]

Bacar Ali Boto, first deputy mayor of Mamoudzou, contested the by-election without the support of any party. [18] Daniel Zaïdani, the departmental councillor of Pamandzi and former president of the general council of Mayotte charged for embezzlement of public funds in February 2017, [9] was selected by the Movement for the Development of Mayotte (MDM) as its candidate in the by-election after meeting to reconcile divisions within the party. [19] Abdullah Mikidadi initially stood without the support of any party, [8] but later received the backing of La France Insoumise, [20] with deputy Jean-Hugues Ratenon taking the opportunity to offer his support for Mikidadi on a visit to Mayotte on 22 February, [21] and Member of the European Parliament Younous Omarjee also traveling to the department. [22] Catherine Bihannic was initially announced as the candidate of the Popular Republican Union (UPR), as in June, [8] but was ultimately replaced by Alexandre Alçuyet, with Bihannic becoming substitute. [23] Boina Dinouraini stood again as an independent candidate, [8] and miscellaneous left candidate Bacar Mouta, a youth of the Social Mahorais Party, also contested the by-election. [8]

Large protests erupted across Mayotte in the weeks preceding the by-election, with demonstrations against insecurity, violence, and illegal immigration, especially from neighboring Comoros, paralyzing the department, prompting Minister for Overseas France Annick Girardin to promise reinforcements and to visit after the by-election. [24] Saïd Omar Oili, president of the association of mayors of Mayotte, announced the closure town halls in protest, and warned that the by-election might be threatened by the unrest. [25] Despite the threats by several mayors not to hold the by-election, government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux insisted that it would be held regardless. [26] The candidates in the by-election were reluctant to act, unsure how to respond to the protests. [27] On 13 March, the mayors of Mayotte arrived at an "agreement in principle" to hold the by-election after talks with the government and local collectives produced promises to improve security and combat illegal immigration, and unions and collectives agreed to remove roadblocks on the island. [28] Salim Nahouda, general secretary of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) in Mayotte, stated that 13 of 15 measures proposed by the union were accepted by the government. [29]

Trade unions and collectives called to boycott the vote. [30] Although mayors requested the postponement of the by-election due to security concerns and the difficulty of campaigning, [31] the by-election ultimately went ahead, albeit with certain difficulties due to roadblocks, transport issues, padlocked polling stations, and landslides caused by tropical storm Eliakim, all of which caused delays to opening of polling stations in several communes. [32] Police were forced to open one padlocked polling station in Acoua by force. [30] By 10:15, all polling stations were open. [32] In Mtsamboro, two ballot boxes were stolen in the early afternoon, and a few hours later police later took the thieves into custody and recovered the ballot boxes. [33]

Protesters intend to reinstate roadblocks before the second round of the by-election. [34] Although all 73 polling stations of the constituency were operational, several opened late due to obstructions to their entrances. In Acoua, locked doors and damaged locks necessitated police assistance, while three polling stations in Koungou were blocked by glue and soldered scrap metal. [35]

2017 election result

First round results by commune Legislatives Mayotte-1 2017 T1.svg
First round results by commune
Second round results by commune Legislatives Mayotte-1 2017 T2.svg
Second round results by commune
CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Ramlati Ali DVG 2,39616.847,99250.17
Elad Chakrina LR 2,38416.767,93849.83
Bacar Ali Boto DVG 2,22315.62
Daniel Zaïdani MDM 1,90613.40
Youssouf Chihabouddine DVG 9446.63
Yahaya Moutuidine DIV 8035.64
Kamel Messaoudi DIV 7235.08
Bacar Haladi PRG 6514.58
Saïd Ahamadi DVG 5734.03
Soihibou Ali-Mansoib FN 4383.08
Boinali Saïd DVG 3712.61
Christine Raharijaona LFI 2821.98
Boina Dinouraini DIV 2641.86
Saïd Ahamadi Salim DIV 1741.22
Catherine Bihannic UPR 960.67
Votes14,228100.0015,930100.00
Valid votes14,22888.5515,93092.21
Blank votes6424.005633.26
Null votes1,1977.457834.53
Turnout16,06742.2817,27645.52
Abstentions21,93057.7220,68054.48
Registered voters37,99737,956
Source: Ministry of the Interior, political parties
* Incumbent deputy

2018 by-election result

First round results by commune Partielle Mayotte-1 2018 T1.svg
First round results by commune
Second round results by commune Partielle Mayotte-1 2018 T2.svg
Second round results by commune
CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%+/–Votes%+/–
Ramlati Ali DVG 3,87536.15+19.318,24654.77+4.60
Elad Chakrina LR 3,49332.59+15.836,81045.23–4.60
Bacar Ali Boto DVG 1,33812.48–3.14
Daniel Zaïdani MDM 1,30512.17–1.22
Abdullah Mikidadi LFI 2802.61+0.63
Alexandre Alçuyet UPR 1891.76+1.09
Bacar Mouta DVG 1781.66+1.66
Boina Dinouraini DIV 610.57–1.29
Votes10,719100.0015,056100.00
Valid votes10,71990.52+1.9715,05693.89+1.69
Blank votes4603.88–0.113812.38–0.88
Null votes6625.59–1.865983.73–0.80
Turnout11,84130.39–11.9016,03541.36–4.15
Abstentions27,12769.61+11.9022,73358.64+4.15
Registered voters38,96838,768
Source (1st round): Préfecture de Mayotte, Ministère de l'Intérieur
Source (2nd round): Préfecture de Mayotte, Ministère de l'Intérieur

Related Research Articles

Annick Girardin French politician

Annick Girardin is a French government minister and a former member of the National Assembly of France. She represented the islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, from 2007 to 2014 before being appointed Junior Minister for Development and Francophonie in April 2014 in the Valls Cabinet. Following the election of President Emmanuel Macron in May 2017, she was appointed Minister of Overseas France in the new Philippe Government.

Mayottes 1st constituency

The 1st constituency of Mayotte is a French legislative constituency on the island of Mayotte. Prior to the 2010 redistricting of French legislative constituencies, there was one constituency for all of Mayotte. After it, the first constituency makes up the north of the island and the second constituency the south.

2017 French legislative election

Legislative elections were held on 11 and 18 June 2017 to elect the 577 members of the 15th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic. They followed the two-round presidential election won by Emmanuel Macron. The centrist party he founded in 2016, La République En Marche! (LREM), led an alliance with the centrist Democratic Movement (MoDem); together, the two parties won 350 of the 577 seats – a substantial majority – in the National Assembly, including an outright majority of 308 seats for LREM. The Socialist Party (PS) was reduced to 30 seats and the Republicans (LR) reduced to 112 seats, and both parties' allies also suffered from a marked drop in support; these were the lowest-ever scores for the centre-left and centre-right in the legislative elections. The movement founded by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, la France Insoumise (FI), secured 17 seats, enough for a group in the National Assembly. Among other major parties, the French Communist Party (PCF) secured ten and the National Front (FN) obtained eight seats. Both rounds of the legislative election were marked by record low turnout.

La République En Marche !, sometimes called simply En Marche ! as its original name, is a liberal political party in France.

15th legislature of the French Fifth Republic

The 15th legislature of the French Fifth Republic is a parliamentary cycle that commenced on 21 June 2017 following the legislative elections on 11 and 18 June 2017. The party of the president Emmanuel Macron, La République En Marche! (LREM), obtained an absolute majority of 308 deputies, alongside its ally, the Democratic Movement (MoDem), which secured 42 seats. The new deputies elected François de Rugy the President of the National Assembly when it first convened on 27 June. The legislative elections saw a record level of renewal, with only a quarter of deputies elected in 2012 also elected in 2017, and a significant increase in the representation of women and youth. With 7 planned parliamentary groups, it would be the most fragmented assembly since 1958.

Brigitte Bourguignon French politician

Brigitte Bourguignon is a French politician serving as Minister for Autonomy in the government of Prime Minister Jean Castex since 2020. A member of the Socialist Party (PS) before she joined La République En Marche! (REM) in 2017, she was the member of the National Assembly for the sixth constituency of Pas-de-Calais from 2012 until her appointment as delegate at the Ministry of Solidarity and Health.

UDI and Independents group Centre-right parliamentary group in France

The UDI and Independents group is a parliamentary group in the National Assembly including members of the Union of Democrats and Independents (UDI), Agir (2017–2020), and some dissidents of The Republicans (LR) after the 2017 legislative elections.

La République En Marche group (National Assembly) Parliamentary group in France

The La République En Marche group is a parliamentary group in the National Assembly of France including representatives of La République En Marche! after the 2017 legislative elections.

2017 The Republicans (France) leadership election

A leadership election for the presidency of The Republicans (LR) was held on 10 December 2017, the first since the refoundation of the party in 2015, before which it was known as the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), and seventh overall including the UMP congresses.

The first round of a by-election was held in Val-d'Oise's 1st constituency on 28 January 2018, with a second round on 4 February because no candidate secured a majority of votes in the first round. The by-election was called due to the invalidation of the election of Isabelle Muller-Quoy, candidate of La République En Marche! (REM), in the June 2017 legislative elections by the Constitutional Council on 16 November 2017. It was the first legislative by-election held during the 15th National Assembly.

The first round of a by-election was held in Territoire de Belfort's 1st constituency on 28 January 2018, with a second round on 4 February because no candidate secured a majority of votes in the first round. The by-election was called due to the invalidation of the election of Ian Boucard, candidate of The Republicans (LR), in the June 2017 legislative elections by the Constitutional Council on 8 December 2017, due to the distribution of misleading electoral leaflets by Boucard's campaign between the two rounds.

A by-election was held in French Guiana's 2nd constituency on 4 March 2018, with a second round on 11 March as no candidate secured a majority of votes in the first round. The by-election was called after the Constitutional Council invalidated the election of Lénaïck Adam, candidate of La République En Marche! (REM), in the June 2017 legislative elections on 8 December 2017.

2019 European Parliament election in France 2019 election for members of the European Parliament in France

The 2019 European Parliament election in France were held on 26 May 2019, electing members of the 9th French delegation to the European Parliament as part of the elections held across the European Union. The election featured two major changes since the 2014 election: the return to a single national constituency and the increase in the number of French seats from 74 to 79 upon the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. Officially, 79 MEPs were considered to have been elected, including five "virtual" MEPs who did not take their seats until the UK formally left the EU. The election featured 34 separate electoral lists, a record number at the national level.

A by-election was held in Haute-Garonne's 8th constituency on 11 March 2018, with a second round on 18 March as no candidate secured a majority of votes in the first round. The by-election was prompted after the Constitutional Council invalidated the election of Joël Aviragnet, candidate of the Socialist Party (PS), in the June 2017 legislative elections on 18 December 2017.

A by-election was held in Loiret's 4th constituency on 18 March 2018, with a second round on 25 March as no candidate secured a majority of votes in the first round. The by-election was prompted by the invalidation of the election of Jean-Pierre Door, candidate of The Republicans (LR), in the June 2017 legislative elections by the Constitutional Council on 18 December 2017. In the second round of the 2017 legislative elections on 18 June, the result was the closest in the country, with Door winning by 8 votes before the election was annulled.

Ian Boucard French politician

Ian Boucard is a French politician who served as deputy for Territoire de Belfort's 1st constituency from June to December 2017, with the invalidation of his election triggering a by-election in early 2018 in which he was re-elected. He is a member of The Republicans.

A by-election was held in Wallis and Futuna's 1st constituency on 15 April 2018. The by-election was called after the Constitutional Council invalidated the election of Napole Polutele, miscellaneous left candidate in the June 2017 legislative elections and member of the UDI, Agir and Independents group in the National Assembly, on 2 February 2018. Sylvain Brial defeated outgoing deputy Polutele in the first round of the by-election on 15 April.

A by-election was held in the fifth constituency for French residents overseas on 8 April 2018, with a second round on 22 April as no candidate secured a majority of votes in the first round. The by-election was called after the Constitutional Council invalidated the election of Samantha Cazebonne, candidate of La République En Marche! in the June 2017 legislative elections, on 2 February 2018. Cazebonne was re-elected in the second round on 22 April 2018, albeit with a reduced margin compared to June 2017.

Lénaïck Adam French politician

Lénaïck Adam is a French politician of La République En Marche! (LREM) who has been a member of the French National Assembly since 2018, representing department of French Guiana.

Ramlati Ali is a French politician who is the Member of Parliament for Mayotte's 1st constituency. She was elected as a Socialist candidate but sits in the En Marche group in the National Assembly.

References

  1. 1 2 David Ponchelet (19 June 2017). "Législatives : la préfecture de Mayotte annonce finalement l'élection de Ramlati Ali (PS) dans la première circonscription!". Outre-Mer 1ère. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  2. 1 2 "L'élection de la députée de Mayotte Ramlati Ali annulée". L'Express. Agence France-Presse. 19 January 2018. Archived from the original on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  3. "Mayotte : l'ex-député LR évincé, Elad Chakrina va saisir le conseil constitutionnel". Outre-Mer 1ère. Agence France-Presse. 22 June 2017. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Décision n° 2017-5126 AN du 19 janvier 2018". Conseil constitutionnel. 19 January 2018. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Le Conseil constitutionnel confirme l'élection de trois députés et invalide celle de Ramlati Ali". Le Monde. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  6. 1 2 David Ponchelet (19 January 2018). "Le Conseil Constitutionnel annule l'élection de la députée de Mayotte Ramlati Ali". Outre-Mer 1ère. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  7. "Décret n° 2018-59 du 2 février 2018 portant convocation des électeurs pour l'élection d'un député à l'Assemblée nationale (1re circonscription de Mayotte)". Légifrance. 3 February 2018. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Andry Rakotondravola (7 February 2018). "L'élection de la députée Ramlati Ali annulée. Des partielles organisées en mars. Avec quelles règles ?". Mayotte 1ère. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Huit candidats pour une législative partielle incertaine à Mayotte [ENCADRE]". Outre-Mer 1ère. Agence France-Presse. 17 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  10. "Mayotte : l'ex-députée LREM Ramlati Ali mise en examen pour complicité de fraude électorale". franceinfo. Agence France-Presse. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  11. Manon Rescan; Abel Mestre (9 March 2018). "Des législatives partielles compliquées pour La République en marche". Le Monde. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  12. "Mayotte : La République En Marche apporte son soutien à Ramlati Ali pour le second tour". Outre-Mer La 1ère. 19 March 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  13. Geoffroy Clavel (15 March 2018). "Pour la première fois, Marine Le Pen appelle à voter LR dès le premier tour". Le HuffPost. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  14. Marguerite Lefebvre (6 March 2018). ""Mayotte est devenue une zone de non droit"". Europe 1. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  15. François Quivoron (5 March 2018). "Mayotte : Laurent Wauquiez dénonce l'abandon d'Emmanuel Macron". RTL. Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  16. Olivier Faye; Lucie Soullier (15 March 2018). "Législative partielle à Mayotte : Marine Le Pen appelle à voter pour le candidat des Républicains". Le Monde. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  17. Jules Pecnard; Marion Mourgue (16 March 2018). "Législative partielle à Mayotte : la droite rejette le soutien du FN". Le Figaro. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  18. "Bacar Ali Boto officiellement candidat". Le Journal de Mayotte. 29 January 2018. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  19. Chafika Salim Moukou (4 February 2018). "Législatives partielles, le MDM retrouve son unité et soutient Daniel Zaïdani". Mayotte 1ère. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  20. "Législatives partielles : les candidats de la France insoumise". La France Insoumise. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  21. Jean-Hugues Ratenon (21 February 2018). "Jean-Hugues Ratenon va visiter Mayotte". Imaz Press Réunion. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  22. "Mayotte : Jean-Hugues Ratenon et Younous Omarjee réagissent à la situation". LINFO.re. 17 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  23. "Arrêté fixant la liste des candidats au 1er tour de l'élection législative partielle" (PDF). Préfecture de Mayotte. 26 February 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  24. "Les routes toujours paralysées à Mayotte, où les habitants dénoncent l'insécurité". France Inter. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  25. "Les mairies de Mayotte fermées à partir de lundi en signe de protestation". Outre-Mer 1ère. Agence France-Presse. 4 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  26. "Nouvelle manifestation contre l'insécurité à Mayotte [Synthèse]". Outre-Mer 1ère. Agence France-Presse. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  27. Chamsudine Ali (11 March 2018). "Grève générale à Mayotte : le gouvernement face à une crise aux enjeux multiples". Mayotte 1ère. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  28. "Mayotte : les maires organiseront la législative partielle de dimanche". Europe 1. Agence France-Presse. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  29. "Crise à Mayotte : un "accord de principe" trouvé entre les manifestants et la ministre, l'intersyndicale va proposer la levée des barrages". franceinfo. 13 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  30. 1 2 Cécile Baquey (18 March 2018). "Election législative partielle : vote sous tension à Mayotte". Outre-Mer 1ère. Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  31. "Mayotte : les élus demandent le report de la législative partielle". Europe 1. Agence France-Presse. 17 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  32. 1 2 Patrick Roger (18 March 2018). "A Mayotte, le défi d'une législative partielle en plein mouvement de blocages". Le Monde. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  33. "Législative à Mayotte : des tensions et une participation très faible". 18 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  34. "Mayotte : levée temporaire des barrages samedi". Outre-Mer la 1ère. Agence France-Presse. 24 March 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  35. "Les électeurs mahorais appelés aux urnes pour le second tour de la législative partielle". Le Monde. Agence France-Presse. 25 March 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2018.