Appointment of SDP: the HAT administration above the law

In Tulear and Manakara, the HAT is keen on imposing its SPD, whatever it takes to do so. It probably underestimated the target mayors’ determination supported by fervid partisans committed to rely on justice. In Tulear, the one month long suspension period dedicated  to acting mayors has not been renewed, for lack of solid enough charges. As a result, he remains allowed to recover his seat in the town hall, but still has to deal with the SPD meant to take over him.  

In Manakara, the situation is vastly more complicated since the HAT is straining to enforce its will in spite of the State Council’s opposition . The file ought to have long been classified and the elected mayor reinstated. The stake is, however, largely more relevant than a simple territorial dispute, the Vital government is keen on making sure that everyone knows who is ruling for real. The explanations provided by… Jean, the HAT interior minister, is absolutely clear: there was a SPD appointed by the state. As it is the case with all appointments, some are approving and some others disapproving of it, but the government’s decision is a government’s decision, that of the minister, so be it “.  

Minister Jean seems to be swearing by decisions taken by the HAT government without a single reference to the justice decision produced by the State Council of state, which cancelled the so, named appointment. “The government decided earlier, it is now holding on to its word, and nothing will change tomorrow “, he argued. Is a government from then on above the laws? Jean the minister apparently does not seem to give a damn about democratic principles. “The administration is not democratic “, it conceded. “No one is being asked about whom would you like to have as superior”.  

The longer the HAT interior minister’s speech is lasting, the more amazing it seems to the audience: “It is in no way a matter of a decision from former government is not to be executed by the present one. It will be maintained until further notice” He said and added nothing else.  

As the HAT government is keeping going on with reversing the mayor of Manakara without consideration of the State Council’s decision, a genuine power struggle is underway in the city. The SPD Alban Sileny doesn’t want to fade away in spite of his authority’s flagrant illegality. The battle is become political. The elected mayor adversaries are going as far as saying loud that if they joined the year 2009’s popular movement in order to reverse the mayor, and up to threatening the State Council, by making it responsible for the consequences of the elected Giscard Andriano’s reinstatement.  

Manakara’s SPD blamed the press for propagating alleged lies uttered by the elected mayor, without his crosscheck. The speech is a classical one within the HAT ranks when the press is jaywalking from the propaganda’s path. As some newspapers unveiled the arrest of some of the legitimate mayor’s supporters, Alban Sileny produced a denial: “there was neither dead nor troubles in Manakara, the former mayor is only shitting around” in his own words.  

In this city of Madagascar’s North East, the authoritarian leader is not holding the whole of Manakara’s population to be demonstrating against him, but merely some 90 or 100 individuals previously paid 5000 or 10 000 ariary per head. In the end, Manakara’s citizens did not have to elect him, the one who appointed him was not elected either.