General Rakotonandrasana: a putsch attempt aborted and misunderstood?

For being suspected of plotting a putsch, apparently still an offense and even a crime against the nation, minister Noel Rakotonandrasana is entitled to his second row of political sanctions. For the time being, his eviction from the government is a merely a foregone conclusion to the swarming military movements of Friday April 02nd, 2010. The HAT national defense minister was supposed to officially declare the political power take over by the armed forces, but nothing happened, The Special Intervention Forces draw their six guns to defend the presidential palace of Ambohitsorohitra for nothing again.  

The general Rakotonandrasana had earlier led various consultations with militaries and politicians in order to address a solution to the crisis. He became the target of sharp criticisms for having been part of the circle of Vohipiraisana. Although the participants to this meeting, like the law maker Eric Rakotoarisoa, denied whatever alleged Coup attempt, the defense minister had definitely put his foot in it: openly challenging the roadmap established Andry Rajoelina, how dared he?.  

The HAT decided to deprive its defense from a civilian top, and consequently has a taste of the military policy. The general Rakotonandrasana is being suspected of trying to get in control of power. Could it be a hybrid government or a pure military direction, the alleged objective would be the quick organization of elections as a cure to the rampant crisis. The “putsch makers II” would have plotted a large scale declaration during the reception of helicopters in Ivato, by the end March. Since it did not come true, it means that the defense ministers has been let down by the patrol.  

The dictatorship, now more than ever playing in defense, is suspecting the former Prime minister Monja Roindefo of manipulating a fringe of the army. According to the president of the Monima party, general Rakotonandrasana’s dismissal is everything but a solution to the crisis, current officials in charge of the armed forces must be kept in charge. The destabilization of the defense department is actually a sign of the very regime’s destabilization. The experience of 2009 under the era Ravalomanana has to serve as a lesson.  

Since the beginning of the crisis, the national defense minister’s popularity rate has regularly been going down. Neither Ampahibe’s tenant nor his secretary of state  for national State police has any real power. Disobedience to generals and the consequent mutiny led by the TGV military rebels was a mile cornerstone. The genuine power holder are, henceforth, those in control of the weaponry, namely the joint chief of headquarters and the state police’s commander, themselves having to rely on lower ranked officers’ support.  

The general Noel Rakotonandrasana never topped the popularity chart. His management of the crisis created earlier by the national state police’s intervention forces (FIGN) was disastrous. General Jafera, in command of Fort Duchesne, by then required the minister’s resignation for having launched genuine war declarations against his troops. General Rakotonandrasana definitely threatened of an armed intervention to master the mutiny. His unifying aura was gone by that time. His dismissal is definitely blowing the shadow of an united army entirely devoted to its guru away.