2013 presidential election

Rajaonarimampianina set up the political organisation "Hery Vaovao hoan'i Madagasikara" in 2013^[11] ("New Forces for Madagascar")^[12] and ran for Presidency with 32 other competitors. His major opponents were Andry Nirina Rajoelina from the ruling political party Tanora Gasy Vonona (TGV), the proxy of the former président Marc Ravalomanana, Jean-Louis Robinson from Antoko ny Vahoaka Aloha No Andrianina (AVANA) party and two former Prime Ministers of the High Transitional Authority Albert Camille Vital and Roindefo Zafitsimivalo Monja.

After the first round Rajaonarimampianina received 15.62%, second to Robinson. The sum of all opponents of former President Ravalomanana's party received 55% of the vote.^[13]

Before the second round, he gathered his party members and supporters in many rallies,^[14] including Roland Ratsiraka, nephew of former President Didier Ratsiraka^[15] and Pierrot Rajaonarivelo.^[16] He also gained support from Andry Rajoelina,^[17] the sitting President of the High Transitional Authority, after it was determined that Rajoelina was ineligible to run because he had not submitted his candidacy documents in time.^[18]

In the second round, Hery Rajaonarimampianina quickly led^[19][20] the first preliminary results of the election established by the Independent National Electoral Commission of the Transition (CENIT) in elections that international observers deemed "free, transparent, reliable and credible".^[21][22]

Impeachment attempt

On 26 May 2015, the Parliament of Madagascar voted to remove the president from office, due to "alleged constitutional violations and general incompetence".^[23] The constitutional court disallowed the motion under the grounds the accusations were unfounded and then inadmissible.

Religion and politics

Rajaonarimampianina has been accused by critics of threatening Madagascar's secular constitution by sponsoring church events and often appearing at churches at rallies. This is not entirely new in Madagascar's history as Rajaonarimapianina's predecessor Marc Ravalomanana was a senior member of the FJKM and Andry Rajoelina was a devout Catholic, both using events of their respective denominations to boost support.^[24] Rajaonarimampianina has only appeared and sponsored the events of denominations in Madagascar that have a large number of adherents, namely the Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar, the Malagasy Lutheran Church, and the Anglican Church, while ignoring other smaller religious denominations such as the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the country's Muslim minority which have fewer followers.^[25]

2018 presidential election

On 8 September 2018 Rajaonarimampianina officially resigned from the presidential office and declared his candidacy for the 2018 election. According to the Malagasy constitution incumbent candidates must resign at least 60 days before in order to be eligible for reelection. On his last official day of his term Rajaonarimampianina named new army generals and appointed new ambassadors to China and Russia.^[26]