The administration: Poised to organize the general elections

During a visit to the western city of Mahajanga, Prime Minister Jacques Sylla disappointed those who wished for a postponement of the previously scheduled general elections by announcing that they would indeed take place before the end of 2002.
According to sources within the government, the administration is ready to hold an election organization forum, and the budget has been finalized.

With this election deadline in mind, TIM, the President’s party, declared its unequivocal resolve to win at least 50% of the seats in the House of Representatives.
This will assure them an absolute majority.
The power quest has to be successful because, for now, according to sources within President Ravalomanana’s inner circle, AREMA, the former president’s party, holds the parliamentary majority within the House and the Senate.
And this, despite the fact that some AREMA members have already chosen to side with the new leadership.

In view of the upcoming general elections, the rivalry is already heating up, despite the political will to gravitate toward President Marc Ravalomanana.
Maintaining that “it was the President himself who decided to dissolve KMMR, which served as a support committee during his bid for the presidency” Representative Jao Jean sent a message to all political parties that the competition is open to everyone.”
He added, “We have already conducted a successful campaign,” in the sense that they have successfully removed the former dictator, Didier Ratsiraka.
Jao Jean is from RPSD, one of the parties which have endorsed President Ravalomanana during his bid for the presidency.
To inform the political arena that, when it comes to the general elections, the rule is “everyone for himself”, he concluded, “We support Marc Ravalomanana, but not TIM,”

The two-fold reason given for postponing the previously scheduled general elections, as you may recall, is the onset of the rainy season which could render some highways impassable, thus making it difficult, if not impossible to reach some areas, as well as the prevailing sense of insecurity within those regions where military operations for restoring law and order are still on-going.

Translated by J. F. Razanamiadana