ICG: no election without the consensual and inclusive Transition

Jean Ping, President of the African Union’s Commission, basically did not come to play the mediator, but to lay a common ground between the four political mobilities. “The International Contact Group (ICG) is not a mediator”, he specified. “The mediation has been entrusted to Joaquim Chissano “. Since the Mozambican former president is not required anymore, the international community seems to make do with the present results. Mr. Ping is insisting on the implementation of the Maputo I and Addis Ababa agreements, in other words, on the Transition’s charter and its additional act.  

Whatever the Rajoelina mobility’s despise for the SADC and the AU, both being wrongly judged favorable to the ousted President Marc Ravalomanana, Africa will always have the leading role in the resolution of the Malagasy crisis. International pressure to be capitalized by real sanctions against the dictating authorities is pending anew. Jean Ping has not been convinced by the unilateral but “perfect” elections promised by Andry Rajoelina. As far as the President of the African Union’s Commission is concerned, unilateralism and perfection never make the pair. 

The High authority of transition tried to defend its case directly on the international scene. The United Nations have nothing against the organization of a democratic election to settle the institutional and political crisis in the Great Isle. All four mobilities, however, have to resume the inclusive and consensual process prior to the organization of such a thing. In the end, the United Nations are calling upon Madagascar’s authorities to comply with the International Contact Group’s advices. 

In clear, Andry Rajoelina cannot do away with the other political forces, and must cope with the transitional cochairmen, a national unity government, and a parliament of which a convention which mostly escape his control. Cohabitation sounds like an early defeat for the one whose reflection in the mirror is nobody by Madagascar’s youngest president ever. Andry Rajoelina is likely to be having to deal with the international community’s reluctance in his intended manipulation of the elections through the administration’s leading role despite the erection of an independent electoral commission. His refusal to face up to the challenge of a constitutional large scale referendum might not help either. 

France’s support, and inclination from the international organization of the French speaking countries is encouraging the HAT to keep going on with the organization of the legislative election. On March 20th, 2010, Andry Rajoelina will be making up a vote for parliamentarians meant to match the Constitution to his expectations, and to bandage the people’s mouth during the Transition as well as all through the fourth Republic’s first mandate at least. Members of the international community had, from scratch, denounced “Madagascar’s mayor”‘s intentions to remain in power after the transitional period by altering the Constitution to his liking. 

The ICG granted 15 days to the mobilities in order to complete their assessments prior to the resumption of talks in the setting of the Maputo and Addis Ababa processes, both meant to lead to the organization of democratic elections. February 07th, 2010 is the deadline, exactly one year after the failed invasion of the presidential palace of Ambohitsorohitra which ended in a small bloodbath. The Rajoelina mobility has, so far, laboriously won six months of undisputed rule since the Maputo charter’s signature.