9 local groups out of 11 agreeing the amended roadmap, signing is on its way

The  SADC´s Troika´s delegation members supposed to finalize the roadmap´s details came with optimism. “We are in Madagascar in order to meet the political forces, and we expect the signing to come true “, summarized the delegation´s leader in Ivato. 

The HAT´s foreign minister emulated and confirmed that a signing ceremony would take place on Friday September 16th, 2011, between 16 and 18 hours local time.  “The troika´s first mission is therefore the meeting with various political forces, the second one is the finalization and the monitoring of the signing “, recalled Yvette Sylla. 

In spite of this wave of optimism, South Africa´s ambassador in Madagascar keeps holding on to a sensed pragmatism. ” Could political groups fail from agreeing, the signing would not be achieved, the troika is going to retire so that the Malagasy people can freely agree “, he declared. This latest sentence caused a stir among politicians. It quickly got around, that the SADC would not be intending to push for the signing through the present mission. 

Andry Rajoelina denies. “SADC decided that the signing would take place on Friday, and we expect things to go this way. One cannot let the Malagasy people wait no more “, commented the HAT´s leader. The TGV´s chief repeatedly emphasized besides, that whoever unwilling to sign this roadmap would rule himself out of from the process. 

Andry Rajoelina is likely to feel embarrassment as a result of his ultimatum imposed the SADC and his threat to push for an “unilateral” ceremony.  The latest events are suggesting that the ruling power´s very hard core would be on its way to turn the signing down, for having to drop a significant asset, namely the prerogative to rule the ousted president Ravalomanana out.   

The Rajoelina sphere´s alliance is now shattered in pieces; six out of its eight pieces, are appearing inclined to reconcile with the opposition´s three spheres. Merely the TGV and the UDR are resisting the trend. The reached consensus between the 9 groups produced the following resolutions: signing the amended roadmap, granting the Prime minister’s position to the three spheres, reshuffling the transitional institutions and the electoral commission, and by so doing, regain international recognition… 

The nine groups agreed on national reconciliation and on the release of political prisoners. The unconditional return of former president Ratsiraka is being required. President Ravalomanana will equally be allowed to return, still under unspecified conditions. Mamy Rakotoarivelo displayed optimism however. “The three spheres and the six groups which signed the republican pact do accept president Ravalomanana´s return” he declared. The roadmap issue is in the end hanging upon Marc Ravalomanana´s recovery of the political stage.