AREMA?s red ballot reappears

The AREMA party?s signature red ballot resurfaces following several weeks out of the limelight.  Former president Didier Ratsiraka?s party has finally decided to actively participate in the campaign leading to the December 15 general elections, and this without the blessing of its highest ranking officials.  Mr. Pierrot Rajaonarivelo, as we all know, has advocated a boycott aimed implicitly at giving the impression that the general elections were designed to only involve the presidential movement.  Obviously, a few party candidates did not see things that way, and did not want to go along with such a move.

The second, and last week of the campaign has decidedly seen a lot more action than the somewhat lethargic first six days.  While parties affiliated with the presidential movement dominated the first week, the remaining political entities took to the arena during the second week.  The outcome of the election could very well depend on this last week of the election campaign.

Unlike their other counterparts, the former leadership party?s candidates have not, as a rule, ventured out into the streets to rally the voters. Nonetheless, it most certainly livened up the election campaign when the AREMA candidates from various congressional districts of Antananarivo decided to get in on the action. Since the political rallies have not successfully drawn big crowds unless the election speeches were preceded by a free concert, the candidates found it necessary to resort to other means to attract them. To that end, no election campaign is more effective than one which is up close and personal.

Since the end of the week, noisy processions have been streaming throughout the capital city?s streets drumming up votes for various general election candidates, while the candidates themselves have taken their message to the city?s various congressional districts, one after the other. The election campaign which started out somewhat gloomily, has now taken a new turn. Obviously, none of the political parties, already on the ticket, wanted to miss the boat.  Even Mr. Didier Ratsiraka?s party – which used to hold the majority of seats in the Lower Chamber – has shown that it too would like another chance at recapturing the National Assembly, thus defying the directives of the highest ranking officials of the party.  Without a doubt, Mr. Pierre Raharijaona, a former AREMA party delegate, is the number one “rebel” who, against all odds, has insisted that the primary opposition party take part in the general elections.  The former AREMA appointee registered as a candidate for his congressional district, south of the capital city, and has actively participated in the election campaign since November 30. The remaining AREMA candidates of various congressional districts of Antananarivo, albeit tentatively, followed in his foot steps, throwing themselves at the mercy of the voters, as well as the party leaders who did not want them to take part in the elections.

Translated by J. F. Razanamiadana