Party life: the presidential poles in view

Pierrot Rajaonarivelo, one of the first exiled figures to come back to the country, is nearly an obvious candidate for the next presidential election. The national secretary of the Arema party has sent a strong signal by giving up this fiercely contested title of his. The red party has definitely turned into a burden rather than an asset for the former vice Prime minister. Pierrot Rajaonarivelo did not take the risk to dispute his « investiture » as candidate for the presidential election. 

The Arema party’s national Secretary is willing to hand over the party’s command to its founder. « Legalistic « , Pierrot Rajaonarivelo is keen on polishing the appearances. The resignation will officially be completed all along the party’s convention. This latest event will be crucial for the Admiral’s party because it would determine whether its unity is fool-proof or broken apart. Will the Rajaonarivelo wing, the most active one in a corner, and the faithful lieutenants of Didier Ratsiraka in the opposite corner, become opponents in the forthcoming presidential race? 

In any case, no one else is emerging as potential candidate from the admiral’s camp. The former president, still bound for action in spite of a doubtful health, would even be attempted to give up his golden retirement in Neuilly, a four stars district of Paris, to conquer Iavoloha once more. Didier Ratsiraka granting blessing to a Pierrot Rajaonarivelo on the brink of having been disowned is a very unlikely scene. Nothing is yet to be ruled out though, if the party is keen on casting figure issues aside in order to keep the most possible cards up its sleeve. 

As a matter of fact, the Arema will definitely not meet the Avi on its way to Iavoloha. Norbert Lala Ratsirahonana’s party has retained the lesson from its bitter failure of the year 2006. However it is expecting to be in the right car by running alongside Andry Rajoelina. Former minister Jean Jacques Rebenirina still seems too soft to enter the arena while the party’s vice-president, former senator Sylvain Rabetsaroana is late on daring the last mile. The Avi party has rather concentrate on the legislative and local elections which have, so far, granted it some success. 

Monja Roindefo’s Monima got its potential substantially enhanced since its leader’s contribution to the ousting of president Ravalomanana, and his appointment as transitional Prime Minister. The appalling 0,001% score sheet at the time of the presidential election of the year 2006 is forgotten.  Monja Roindefo had put forth his voluntary withdrawal from the race and the lack of his ballots in the polls, as an excuse. There he is back in 2009 by announcing very much in advance his possible involvement into the 2010 presidential election. 

The ambitions displayed by Monja Roindefo are a cause for assessment of the intentions of the various parties making up the Forces for Change, the coalition supporting Andry Rajoelina. The Leader Fanilo does not have any undisputable potential candidate, and could present someone from outside its political office. An alliance with Andry Rajoelina is more likely for this orphan party still mourning its founding father, Herizo Razafimahaleo. Clement Ravalison’s AME party will also stand on the starting line, with, maybe some original candidates as the singer-philosopher Vahombey, on his sides. More others are still to be expected if the single voting ballot is adopted.