Elections in 2013, the international community’s point still undecided

MGA 60 billion will be made available… in 2013, according to the ruling power. The ruling power actually has not a single penny yet, and must wait for the next Finance Act. Since no particularly substantial increase of foreign financial support is to be expected compared to previous years, the ruling power intends to tighten next years’ ministerial expenses a little bit more than usual. Meanwhile, the state must immediately see to the release some 3 billion Ariary to repay expenses related to electoral census… and repay cash.

The local electoral commission will be entitled to the free management of nothing but state assets. Funds provided or to be provided by the international community members deemed to be exclusively managed by the United Nations. As an official explanation, Madagascar is being considered as a country in conflict, in spite of the absence of major armed clashes. The ruling power’s stated commitment to play its role into financing the elections is supposed to encourage foreign financial backers to emulate. There are, technically speaking, only $ 25 million left to be found.

Regional organizations like the OIF and the IOC are expected to financially contribute to the incoming elections in Madagascar. France’s surprising low profile will without a shadow of doubt be balanced by the involvement of this couple of its avatars in Madagascar’s political game. As far as the United States of America are concerned, Andry Rajoelina’s baseless defiance of Barack Obama will certainly not bring any change to their point. Supporting an unconstitutional ruling power change originated dictatorship happens to be absolutely off the point for the world’s first major power, let alone financially supporting its erection.

The president of the CENIT puts a confident mood up concerning the electoral deadline of May 8th, 2013. Beatrice Attalah remains “positive” in spite of the international community’s stand clearly pointing at the other direction due to the ruling power’s attitude. The electoral process is still being tackled with the systematic review of voter registers. Voter registrations in each Fokontany constitute the legions of steps leading to the recovery of an updated main electoral register. Ballots will probably be printed abroad out of “security” reasons. The UNDP, the electoral financial basket managing organization will ultimately be the one entitled to launch the international fund collection.

A presidential election on May 8th, 2013 remains possible, technically speaking, according to Beatrice Attalah, who has now integrated the political situation parameter into the electoral process. She openly pressed the HAT’s leader Andry Rajoelina and the exiled president Marc Ravalomanana to reach an agreement, and take the country out of from this burdening and never ending crisis.

Since it definitely can’t prevent Marc Ravalomanana from coming back home, the HAT does what it takes to delay it as much as possible, in order to try to prevent him from running the electoral race. Beatrice Attalah refrained from arguing about the former president’s electoral fate. According to the electoral code enforced by the ruling power, he was supposed to recover home soil in time before November 8th, 2012, exactly six months before the electoral deadline. Beatrice Attalah only contented with declaring that a political agreement and a new electoral law would largely prove enough to settle this minor muddle