the time to seal alliances for the sake of victory has come

Whereas the last of all of the 33 candidates failed to gather 10 000 votes countrywide, he failed short from reaching one million votes on his score sheet. Jean Louis Robinson indisputably won the presidential election’s first round. Although he too had to suffer the invalidation of some 5000 votes in a handful of polling stations, his leadership was in the end naught but more convincingly confirmed by a plus 0.06 point compared to the Electoral Commission’s latest issued temporary results, adding up to his score to have it reach 21.16%

“So sounds a victory of the Malagasy People’s wisdom” commented Jean Louis Robinson. The AVANA party’s candidate is aware of the fact that, even if he could build on the Ravalomanana political sphere’s full support, many more voters are still to get convinced. Saraha Rabeharisoa, endowed with 4.52% at the end of the first round’s showdown, already pledged him her support. Madagascar’s green party is motivated by the visible common ground between their respective parties’ political programs, and even more by the prospect of dealing a memorable blow to those who pillaged the country’s natural wealth during the transitional rule.

The largest share of invalidations ordered by the Special Electoral Court struck Hery Rajaonarimampianina and his 15.85%. He had to drop some 10 000 votes, 5 774 of which denied to him by the Court. The Special Electoral Court may be held as having been extremly lenient for rejecting the heap of charges pressed against Hery Rajaonarimampianina on violation of the electoral law. Transitional leader Andry Rajoelina’s formal champion got a mild sanction instead of a due disqualification. “Even though we had no part in the committed abuses, we have to feel their weight” stated the HERY VAOVAO party’s candidate prior to announcing a special training to be followed by his militants before the beginning of the second round.

In spite of Rajoelina’s rallying speeches as head of what is left of the Rajoelina political sphere, the support supposed to be granted to Hery Rajaonarimampianina does not abound yet. General Camille Vital (6.85%), utterly angered by the ruling power during the electoral campaign for Hery Rajaonarimampianina’s sake made his stand, as well as current trend, clear: “everyone for himself!”

Edgard Razafindravahy, let down by the TGV party at the eleventh hour and forced to leave his position of Rajoelina sphere’s champion to Hery Rajaonarimampianina, fought on his own to reach his 4.34%, and did not shrink from turning against the ruling party’s and power’s candidates, let alone against Hery Rajaonarimpianina. He is still not remotely interested in supporting his rival in any way, and will now be expected to let his supporters choose freely for the sake of an honorable last stand.

Hajo Andrianainarivelo (10.54%) has ever since become a sworn enemy to Rajoelina and to his TGV party. The outcome of the presidential election does no more matter much to him, for he rather focuses on his party’s rise through legislative elections. His TANORA MIARA MIAINGA party actually puts 100 candidates up for the island’s 111 constituencies.

Roland Ratsiraka, endowed with 9% at the end of the first round, seems just as much focused on his contribution to the MTS party’s legislative election candidates, and just as so little interested in helping any of the presidential election’s finalists through. Who knows? A position of prime minister as potential dowry might eventually bring him to change his mind.

In the end, the presidential election’s finalist Hery Rajaonarimampianina still has a no man’s land behind him. The small HERY VAOVAO party pays the price for the shadow of an Andry Rajoelina dying for remaining in the leading train. Most likely this shade does scare allies away, basically supposed to be under his orders. As a matter of fact, stamping Rajoelina’s face on Hery Rajaonarimampianina’s posters would eventually be naught but the killing blow to him.