Stumbling block in Addis Ababa: Andry Rajoelina does not feel in a hurry

As these last chance talks are getting bogged down again, the European Union, one of  Madagascar’s main financial backers, produced the kind of statement dedicated to step up pressure on the political mobilities. The granted 120 days long reprieve to record any evolution of the return to the constitutional order comes to an end on November 06th, 2009. In other words, 650 million euros related to the 10th FED program are waving good bye to Madagascar. 

Tempus fugit, apparently not for Andry Rajoelina though, allegedly standing tall to foreign pressure. The stake is yet quite huge and the country is on the verge to miss out on it. The president of the HAT turned down the ICG made proposal to bring an additional act to the Maputo Charter, though it stipulated that Andry Rajoelina would be keeping the transitional presidency, but with a second vice-president named by the Ravalomanana mobility as a potential major change. « In international agreements of that kind, whatever is previously decided can be altered no more », the young Rajoelina dixit. 

The clock is running, but there is no hurry estimates the president of the HAT. « There is no pressure to make us feel any emergency, we are after all the ones in power to share seats », boasted Andry Rajoelina few hours to the implementation of sanctions. Even the ICG seems to throw the towel by anouncing that talks might continue on Friday. The debate dragged so much on the transitional presidency that mediators decided to stand back and directly address the distribution of ministries in order to move forward. 

The Ratsiraka mobility feels quite privileged by getting the transitional Prime minister’s seat. The admiral appeared satisfied with the five ministries basically assigned to each of the four mobilities. As for the eight ministries previously dedicated to the civil society, the battle will be fierce. Andry Rajoelina claims them all. The Ravalomanana and Zafy mobilities are naturally challenging him and want them to be divided by three. The  sovereignty and strategic ministries are to be adding up to the bitterness of the talks. 

During two months, Andry Rajoelina and his partisans had been absloutely turning down the transitional charter and the Maputo agreements judged incompatible with the people’s aspirations. The bankruptcy of the state, dampened by the suspension of international helps, finally pushed the president of the HAT to comply with whatever has been agreed with the other mobilities on August 09th, 2009. The International Contact Group’s assessment meeting in Antananarivo re-launched Maputo I. In Addis Ababa, Andry Rajoelina is currently striving to hang on to what has been ratified by a simple press release on October 06th.