Richard Ratsimandrava: an eternal speech

State police officers and political figures jointly paid tribute to general Richard Ratsimandrava’s monument on February 11th, 2010, in order to celebrate the 35 birthday of the former and short term chief of state’s death. These days’ colonel had just received full power from general Gabriel Ramanantsoa, cumulating both the president’s and the Prime minister’s prerogatives. « Your gesture is an important event in the nation’s history. Being chosen to rule the country is a great honor », declared that time’s new chief of state.  

« Tsy hiamboho adidy aho, my General « . This phrase stated by Richard Ratsimandrava would be going down in history: « my general, I am not going to turn away from my duty, now that our nation is going through hard days, responsible citizens are needed on the helm ». The Ramanantsoa government’s Home Affairs minister was pointing at Didier Ratsiraka, his foreign office’s colleague, previously granted the same honor, but who set a long list of conditions to his agreement.  

Here were Richard Ratsimandrava’s big political headlines presented to his cabinet on his first day in office. « In the end, the path that we are going to follow will be the one chosen by the people as the outcome of the referendum held on October 08th, 1972: the country’s development based on the fokonolona (community), and the economy’s nationalization for the sake of fair wealth distribution, so that the nation finally shines throughout the world by its fairness. All of the administration’s actions will be done for the communities… and it will be completed with love!  »  

34 years later, Colonnel Richard Ratsimandrava’s speech is being remixed by a DJ pretending to have freely been granted full power by a military board of direction. « We are going to find the way to shortcut inflation and unemployment… and to implement power decentralization. I will not tolerate any attempt against these objectives since each and everyone of you promised to reach for them ». What a strange feeling of « deja vu » it causes when things come up to addressing the people: « To you, Malagasy people do believe that the country’s on going difficulties are on their way out. The new government is set up. I do solemnly invite you to keep on your guard in face of manipulations which could encourage confrontations and divide the country « .   

The national sovereignty speech is literally a copy-paste production from previous illustrious ones: « Malagasy are famed across the world for their fair and fine neighborhood with whoever respects their sovereignty and refrains from poking its nose in their internal business…investors and the economic operators are free to work provided that they respect the country’s laws and the development; so are diplomatic bodies, they are allowed to work if they comply with Madagascar’s fixed conditions of its international stature ». In the end, Ratsimandrava’s speech would have proved to be fuelling the year 2009’s dictatorial propaganda.