Arema Party: no joint direction for both of the opposed “mobilities”

The Arema party’s leading committee is striking back and responding to the offensive of the wing true to Didier Ratsiraka. “The fact that Pierrot Rajaonarivelo is still the Arema party’s secretary general is quite legal”. The man considered as being the party’s number one has been empowered by the party’s last convention back in 1997. 

The problem, if problem there is, it is that Pierrot Rajaonarivelo has temporarily let everything down. He entrusted the national secretary role to Pierre Houlder. This latter is now member of the HAT. He has already put an end to his interim and slammed the door after him. The legal mist is lasting, although it would only be a matter of indoor regulation. 

The Arema party’s leading committee is fully favouring Pierrot Rajaonarivelo. “The national Secretary never resigned, he temporarily transferred the party’s directing power because of the political situation”. Forced out into exile, he had not so much influence left on militants, more or less still engaged on the political scene. 

The Arema party’s survival in the political arena during an era dominated by the TIM party, was compromised. The party was craving for a guide and a spokesman., As never having gained either unanimity as leader, or even  recognition from founding father Didier Ratsiraka, Pierre Houlder was rather suited to the second role. 

The admiral’s faithful lieutenants, namely Moïse Rakotosihanaka and Professor Ange Andrianarisoa tried to dismiss Pierrot Rajaonarivelo by the legal way. The process engaged at the Interior Ministry didn’t succeed. The objective was to put a joint direction in place. On the legal field,  Pierrot Rajaonarivelo remains therefore, the leader of the Arema party.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

“As far as we are concerned, Pierrot Rajaonarivelo is clean, and we can work him”, argued his supporters within the party. At present, the man is having a low profile, restricting himself to regular points about the evolution of the political crisis. Pierrot Rajaonarivelo is, therefore, more an observer rather than an actor. He is, however, in everybody’s sight, closely monitor by his own party as well as by the transitional authorities. His pre electoral campaign in provinces has been rather badly perceived. 

The Arema party is, thus, polarized in two “mobilities”, and undergoes a crisis within the crisis. The Ratsiraka mobility has resurfaced since the admiral has been designated as a prominent actor in the negotiations organized by the international community. The “Rajaonarivelo mobility” stagnates in spite of the national secretary’s return home. 

As a sign of the deep uneasiness between the party’s founder and leader, Pierrot Rajaonarivelo has created the surprise by his convergence with the mobility Albert Zafy. Nothing scandalous has happened for the meantime, since the three anti-HAT mobilities have found a consensus, and joint forces to reach a same objective, that is to say the literal implementation of the agreements signed in Maputo. 

Candidacy to the presidency as top of the Arema party would be possible for Pierrot Rajaonarivelo, legally speaking, could amnesty be granted. Could the former vice Prime minister count on all the members of his party? Nothing is less sure.