Presidential Council: no consensus, unlikely cohabitation,

The three mobilities have made the executive three headed hydra’s transitional working mode clear, according to their common view. “The Transition’s Presidential Council, made of a president and two Co Presidents, is the decision making institution in charge of granting consensual and inclusive characters to the Transition’s management”, read the resolution of Maputo III. It is stipulated that all material and human resources have to be made available to the Co Presidents, including an official office inside the state palace of Ambohitsorohitra.  

The Rajoelina mobility’s reply was blunt: “The three mobility leaders: Zafy Albert, Ratsiraka Didier, Ravalomanana Marc, gathered in Maputo from December 03rd to December 08th, 2009, have purposely violated the Maputo Charter as well as the Addis-Ababa Additional Act by unilaterally altering their articles concerning  the Transition’s president and the Presidential Council, namely by including the President in the Presidential Council “. Ambohitsorohitra insisted on the fact that “both co chairmen of the presidential council” are merely assisting the president of the transition. For the Rajoelina mobility, recognizing “advisors” Emmanuel Rakotovahiny and Fetison Andrianirinas as transitional co-leaders is absolutely off the point.  

One month after the Addis Ababa meeting, both Co Presidents are still deprived of resources by the presidency. The Rajoelina administration turns down any “symbolic protocol honour” which would hint any leading relevance of either of both Co Presidents.  Emmanuel Rakotovahiny and Fetison Andrianirinas are being banned from accessing the presidential palace to tackle their work.   

Thereupon, cohabitation proves impossible as long as a consensus over the Presidential Council’s operating mode fails to emerge. Andry Rajoelina wants to rule the country without co leaders on his back. His declaration concerning both individuals’ roles within Cabinet meetings created surprise. According to the self imposed president, their signatures is in no way a must, possibly entitled to turn into a veto in the decision making process. In the same way, Andry Rajoelina hinted that all decisions would not be stemming from Cabinet meetings, but would possibly be unilateral. 

“Including President Andry Rajoelina in the Presidential Council, on the same equal footing with both Co Presidents, is reflecting the three mobilities’ will to eliminate Andry Rajoelina from the state’s leadership”, communicated the transition’s presidency. The definition of this “council” in the Addis Ababa Act was actually quite confusing, and inevitably paved the way for various interpretations, particularly as for both of the transitional Co Presidents’ status.  

Andry Rajoelina himself appeared to have lost his way for a while, as he thanked Emmanuel Rakotovahiny for having given up his position of vice-president to become Co President. As far as Fetison Andrianirina is concerned, the Council rules during the Transition, and Andry Rajoelina’s presidential title is merely formal. The latter only sticks to what matters to him though: the other mobilities admitted in Addis Ababa that he is the president of the transition, and this is supposed to entitle him to turn down any consensus not to his liking.