Inevitable cracks show up within Ratsiraka’s inner circle

Signs of division inexorably reach down to the very core of the former president’s inner circle.
Former Vice-Prime Minister, and AREMA Party National Secretary, Pierrot Rajaonarivelo, officially acknowledged Ravalomanana as “President-elect”, last Sunday, and even offered him his full collaboration.

According to sources close to President Ravalomanana, a group of French lobbyists was behind the move.
France would view his admittance within the fold of the new Administration as undeniable proof that Marc Ravalomanana is serious about rebuilding the country based on a “true national reconciliation”, a point near and dear to Mr. Chirac’s heart.

In his first radio address, on Saturday, Pierrot
Rajaonarivelo failed to acknowledge the legitimacy of Ravalomanana’s election to the Presidency.
However, the misfiring political blunder was quickly rectified.
Just as if we were dealing with nothing more than a “script which was reviewed and corrected by a professor,” a joker noted.

Pierrot Rajaonarivelo’s admittance within the fold Ravalomanana’s administration has not been ruled out.
However, the President-elect’s inner circle wants more from the AREMA Party National Secretary who has not yet officially condemned the crimes perpetrated by pro-Ratsiraka supporters.

Although Pierrot Rajaonarivelo admittedly qualifies as a “moderate” within Ratsiraka’s camp, he certainly enjoyed all of the realm’s bells and whistles commensurate with his position, including, but not limited to, a particularly lavish, and often excessively magnanimous attention from a fringe of the Malagasy press.
Nonetheless, his defection from AREMA has stirred up a storm of controversies within both political circles;
he is viewed as a “traitor” within Ratsiraka’s camp, and as an “opportunist of the worst kind” by Ravalomanana’s supporters.

In spite of everything, the bottom line is that Rajaonarivelo’s decision has dealt the former president, and his party yet another huge blow.

Translated by J. F. Razanamiadana