Convention of the HAT: bad luck never comes alone

On Wednesdays, by the beginning of the afternoon, Tsimbazaza´s street along which the Tourism ministry and the national assembly facilities are located, is generally not overcrowded but not empty either. Four guys wearing actually no mask completed a bold hold up and went away with the HAT´s congress members´ money.  Some 800 millions of ariary contained by four “rice bags!” have withered 

The raid was operated in the street with an amazingly cold self confidence. “Their vehicle  blocked us by remaining sideways across the street, I tried to get round it but they didn´t let me do it my way”, told the convoy´s driver. “An armed man came swiftly out and pointed his weapon at me. Since I was not yet willing to die, I could nothing else but obliging “, he argued. 

A couple of other accomplices entered in the car, threated the convoy´s other civilians. They took the bags away and started out. No one has been wounded but all the money withered. The bandits even added a touch of humor when leaving something to the HAT congress members… their cash vouchers. 

This kind of convoy driven by the national assembly´s employees is supposed to be escorted by police forces. It wasn´t this time around. Even though everything occured in  the street, the locals didn’t notice anything, let alone that a holdup was taking place. The bandits dropped the grey four wheel drive the used in Alasora, 6 miles away from the city center. 

800 millions of ariary per month, what a substancial jackpot for non elected parliamentarians, isn´t it? Their lack of electoral legitimacy is however a good deal to deny them parliamentary immunity. In the “Ezéquiel case”, the HAT´s congress members denounce the breach of arrest standards for parliament members and challenge the lack of immunity, without contesting the High constitutional court´s position though. 

Politics professionals like Jean Eugene Voninahitsy are dreading the creation of a precedent potentially jeopardizing the parliamentarian status. In between, the transitional congress is keen on having the last say in the rose wood case. “No congress member signs documents, people from the executive sphere do so”, insisted a parliamentarian. Tsimbazaza´s men would be bound to unveil complicity from the executive power, and announced the creation of an investigation commission deemed to address this rose wood smuggle case. 

Talks concerning the texts supposed to govern the regional and communal elections are consequently going to develop with this cold war mood. “Such a bill may not be imposed by any Cabinet meeting, must however stem from political talks held by political forces which gathered in Ivato “, challenged a transitional congress member, referring to the parties which signed up to the roadmap´s draft of that time. The HAT´s bill might well be struggling to go down in history this time around