CENI, the right one after the rough draft

Andry Rajoelina is strongly defending his right to organize elections, supported by France and the OIF. He, who only won one municipal election and whose party never run any other one, is definitely dying for political legitimacy in order to smudge the year 2009´s putsch which propelled him on top. 

The first electoral test dared by the leader of the imposed regime ended into a local success, for having enforced a constiution reducing the presidential nominee´s required age. 13 years old fellow citizens are however not allowed to vote… yet. 

He, who leads this regime, equally enforced a trick to extend his rule nearly indefinitely. Fortunately for the Madagascans, the SADC´s roadmap declared the referendum null and void and prevented its perverse side effects. 

The main question was, when did the HAT´s electoral commission put its foot in it? before, during or after November 17th, 2010? Whatever its out going president Hery Rakotomanana and his staff could declare, this electoral instution failed because the referendum and its content were not recognized either nationally or internationally. Officially declaring this lack of political legitimacy as impossible to overcome was the least the CENI had to do by the time. 

Failure at the credit test, isn´t it?  

The whole of the electoral organization process was anyway everything but a dazzling success. The electoral register is lacking more than a million names, according to a  comparison with the results of a census conducted after the referendum. The boycott of citizens led by the CENI and the ministry of the Interior, a couple of structures still struggling to work together though, is to be blamed for it. 

Victory for the ruling power was a foregone conclusion on November 17th, 2011, the main stake was rather a vote rate higher than 50% The CENI gave way to scores of unacceptable deeds in order to serve its master. Voters were allowed to cast ballots without having to put electoral cards forth; merely a notebook certifying his belonging to the fokontany proved sometimes enough. 

The worst irregularity besmirched the CENI´s reputation once for all when polling stations were not allowed to close doors when they constitutionally had to. Boosting the involvement rate was the single incentive. The CENI openly violated the electoral code so that the HAT gets its 50%… one more sin expected to draw forgiveness for the previous ones. 

As a conclusion, the independent national electoral Commission has so far not been being as independent as expected, let alone biased. Independence was merely an empty word as far as it was concerned. The Commission has been depending on the Interior ministry´s resources and schedule, relies on the money offered or denied by political figures and consequently obeyed the ruling power on the polling day. The failure of the referendum took its toll of credit and ruined the reputation of the TGV republic and its constitution neither recognized nor known by the Malagasy people.