Presidential elections in 2013: sectarian orientations will have their say

The national TV channel has never covered a religious event so well in the latest forty years. One complete crew was broadcasting, reporting, presenting in the evening journal. The TVM channel never better promoted the area in which it took place. So good if it contributes to convince young lost sheep to recover the right path.

In Fandriana, in the run of the Lutheran Youth’s Forum, the national television channel’s reporter did not mince his words to get the yearned answer. He directly asked about the financial supports to the organization. A church official confirmed and thanked the donors in general. Far too petty, wasn’t it? So the question was bluntly put again: “Die President Andry Rajoelina give money? “. The answer matched his expectations: “Yes, he did”.

“The head of the state and the young Catholic,” according Ambohitsorohitra has granted substantial support to the  JMJ MADA’s organization committee in Antsiranana Madagascar. Well inspired move, but not enough though, since young Lutherans denounced the HAT’s unequal treatment, for having merely received half of the aforesaid amount. Besides, they also regretted that the Catholic youth was allowed to express its point on the TVM channel’s waves, and not the Lutherans.

Andry Rajoelina now has to curry favor with the Anglican Church. It makes no doubt that the year 2009’s putsch maker cannot expect any forgiveness from protestant voters. The FJKM actually mourns the former regime leader’s generosity, and did trigger the electoral challenge by leaving Marc Ravalomanana recover his position as vice chairman. Private TV channels focused rather on the protestant church’s Synod held in Manakara, and depicted it as a foregone promotion of the exiled chief of state as incoming electoral candidate to the presidency.

The FJKM will put several candidates on the starting line in 2013. The former finance minister Radavidson Andriamparany and the former President of the Senate Rajemison Rakotomaharo have already made their electoral ambition public. Both figures used to have charges and responsibilities inside the church. Whatever Protestant candidate supportive of the Rajoelina sphere will struggle to receive the church’s blessing.

Campaigning has already started for another figure, Parson Mailhol. Will the controversial “prophet” and leader of the Apokalipsy group become President in 2013, as foreseen in his visions? In 2007 during the last presidential election, nobody suspected the putsch perpetrated by Andry Rajoelina supported by a fringe of the army in 2009, let alone that the Malagasy would potentially have to vote again in 2013. When being asked about the eventual end of the world in 2012, the man replied that such a thing couldn’t be, because he himself will lead the country in 2013.

Parson Mailhol’s religious group actually displays some signs of financial prosperity. A whole fleet of German or American made 4WD brand, used to have the word “Apokalipsy” painted on car’s windshields, got a new additional detail: the number “2013”. Since he has been making his intention to run the presidential race public, the parson no longer appears on TV but for the development of very basic political assessments. The man works on the ground, and shapes alliances with other new religious groups partly described as “sects”. On the paper, the parson Mailhol is able to reckon with enough votes to make the break through to an eventual second round, namely by taking advantage of the generally growing wrath against politicians, inevitably demonized by this transition