Debating the much anticipated general election

Faced with the evolution of the situation, the Malagasy political parties are engaged in an open debate regarding the much anticipated general election.
As a rule, they have yet to reach a meeting of the mind, up to now.

They even re-question the timeliness of these elections, and whether or not they should be held.
However, this has not kept Marc Ravalomanana and his allies from looking into the situation.

Even within the political parties close to President Ravalomanana, there is a slight degree of dissension, and conflict.
Sources close to the President anticipate that the up-coming general election will generate a new parliamentary majority, before the end of this year.
Despite the fact that everyone would like to see a resolution of this issue, as soon as possible, this is an idea which is far from being the consensus within pro-Ravalomanana political parties.

The RPSD party, through Marson Evariste, its national president, expressed its wish to amend the Malagasy constitution, and to update the election code, before holding the general election.
Most pro-Ravalomanana political entities seem to agree on this point.
Obviously, no one wants to keep the current Third Republic constitution which former president Didier Ratsiraka drastically, and unilaterally amended, in 1998.
As for the election code, the truth is that they do not have much confidence in it, either.

Although other political parties will not openly admit it, they would like to see the Great Island move forward with President Ravalomanana into the Fourth Republic.
This, naturally, implies the adoption of a new constitution, and the dawning of a new era.

The Third Republic can be divided into two successive phases:
the first one under Albert Zafy’s short-lived administration, and the second one, viewed as somewhat of a failure, under former president Didier Ratsiraka, when he returned to power.
For now, however, the new leadership prefers not to show its hand.

Translated by J. F. Razanamiadana