Andry Rajoelina: what’s the extent of the opening after Maputo?

None of the agreements signed in Maputo stipulated that Andry Rajoelina is no more the president of transition authority. No problem when he is confirming that he is remaining in his seat. He is thereafter deducting that he is to remain the number one in the country as president of the transition when his regime will be recognized. Such a self proclamation is not contested by the other mobilities for so much. 

The Maputo agreements acted as basis to the role casting in the setting of a consensual and inclusive transitional regime. “Those who are indeed ready to collaborate and who don’t have any intention to destabilize the transition are welcome “, said Andry Rajoelina. He is then requiring the appointment of high state officials to be devolved to the president of the transition. 

Is Maputo proposing and Rajoelina, complying? The latter doesn’t take much more offence at the international mediators’ initiative which wants to validate “candidacies” to available jobs in the transition’s institutions. The current president of the transition’s regime is clearly intending to stand tall as such and to get the last word. 

The very concept of a consensual and inclusive transition is being redefined by Rajoelina. He is considering it as an opening from his mobility which is accepting to integrate the “good” collaborators from the other mobilities. Such vision has always been put forward by the TGV’s political allies. 

In practice, the Rajoelina mobility wants to keep all its ministers and leave the crumbs, some still available seats, to the other mobilities. The HAT definitely intends to dominate the future superior Council of the transition. The genuine stake will be in the composition of the Transition’s Convention. 

There is to be 258 members of the future lower Chamber indeed in order to have a certain balance between a most likely TIM majority, and the other mobilities. The HAT’s allies have already displayed their opposition to a TIM majority whose parliamentarians could integrate the transition’s convention. They are calling upon the presence of the elected officials from Marc Ravalomanana’s party, but in small minority. 

Pressure on Andry Rajoelina is being stepped up, so that he doesn’t sacrifice his allies on behalf of a convention signed with the other mobilities. Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy are tagged as clandestine passengers of the TGV, for not having participated into the popular movement which ousted president Ravalomanana. Thus, the Rajoelina mobility and its allied political forces are longing to reduce the opening to the minimum possible. Otherwise, the consensual and inclusive transition would sound like a defeat.