Madagascar: priest urges next leader to give his life for his people

Christians in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar gathered to celebrate the annual All Saint’s Day on Thursday, November 1. The day is a public holiday in most Christian countries.

Faithful say, the day reminds them about the level of poverty plaguing most of the population, as the country heads for a general election.

Father Pedro, a leading figure in the fight against poverty in Madagascar, led the celebration and called on the next president to fight corruption and make the well-being of the people a priority.

“I hope that the one who is going to be elected, will give his life for his people, that he will do everything so that the little children can get an education and they can have drinking water”, Father Pedro said.

Father Pedro is a symbol of hope for many Madagascans. Most see the qualities of a good leader in him.

“He’s a stranger and he can’t run the country. If it were up to us, we’d want him to do it, he’s the one who understands our misfortune the best”, said Joseph Razafindraibe, a maison.

With an extreme poverty rate of 76.2%, the country is among the poorest countries in the world according to the World Bank.