CENI: the opposition is maintaining the HAT label

A member of the national independent electoral Commission apppointed Interior minister by the HAT government is nothing but a political blunder. At least it is everything but the way to confirm that the CENI is independent from the ruling power which empowered it and choosed its members. Maybe one of the civilian administrators civilians could have been a more judicial choice. At least, the administration found a substitute for Jean, namely Jean de Dieu Raveloson, who made his solemn oath to the Supreme court in quality of the administration’s new representative within the CENI. 
 
The HAT electoral commission’s president is believing that everything is all right because the CENI can work. The opposition’s absence and the consequent commission’s non completion are no hurdle at all. “These people have been called for the sake of transparency, we actually want elections to be transparent”, justified Hery Rakoromanana. He conceded though, that ” the opposition’s presence is the best pledge for transparency “. The CENI’s president will have to do without it, as elections have to take place whatever it takes. “We are out resorts “, he said while refering to the turned down invitation to enter the CENI. 
 
 The CENI is presently busy deploying its 60 000 representatives thoughout communes, fokontany, regions, and districts. Such an activity completed without the opposition is an easy prey for suspiscions of ruling power led manipulations. Hery Rakotomanana dented further more what was left of this institution’s credibility by confirming that the CENI was ready to organize the referendum on August 12th, 2010 whereas its  own offices were not yet in position. 
 
This commission supposed to be more effective than the former CNE has not yet been put to the test. THe CENI is, on this account, potentially able to organize and referee a vote with full neutrality. The problem is that the whole of the HAT process’s unilateral quality is likey to ruin this institution’s credibility for good. No matter what Hery Rakotomanana and his team might say, the commission is politically exploited in order to  patch up legality for an authority by means of elections while ruling the opposition out of from the race. The HAT strategy happens to be, involuntarily, stated by the CENI: “we called them but they didn’t come, mission accomplished “. 
 
The HAT is bound to pay what it takes so that CENI organizes the elections supposed to free it from the so far compulsory political agreement feared for being an opened door to equal chances for every contender. Some 7,5 billions of ariary have been spent by the authority to run the commission and organize the votes. “It is not enough, the state has already agreed on an extension.” declared Hery Rakotomanana. The HAT keeps in control of the operations.