Implementation of Maputo I: Andry Rajoelina puts his conditions forth to the international community

How will the European Union engage, and sign up, with Andry Rajoelina to have the latter give way to the implementation of the Maputo agreements? That is the, somewhat improper question of the moment. The young president of the HAT would be accepting, still under certain conditions, to come back to the negotiation table. To this end, he is expecting his conditions to be accepted by the international community which has been compelling him to comply  

“If these members of the international community can insure us that they are going to help the Malagasy people during the transition, we will be able to address the Maputo agreements”. The speaker on behalf of the people is obviously Andry Rajoelina. The young TGV has decided to follow suit, following the failure of a “parallel financing” project, despite a vehement attempt to resist pressure from financial backers far too much concerned about democracy to his liking. 

In clear words, Andry Rajoelina would like to lecture his conditions for a mutually satisfying deal. The first of them looks legitimate and indisputable: financial support of the organization of the elections. The second one is a bet: urging financial backers to lift all sanctions against the people and the nation. The third is nearly an order: restoring the European Union’s planned 300 million euros help to construction of infrastructures, as well as the World Bank’s 180 million dollars. 

Trips seemingly make youths more mature. Following his journey to New-York, then to Paris, where he met important members of the great international family, Andry Rajoelina decided to comply with the agreements signed in Maputo. Considering himself as being the first responsible of 20 millions of Malagasy, he declared to be acting for the sake of the supreme interest of the nation, and to be implementing the agreements; well, quite the same old speech as when he took the opposite decision. “I cannot make you hostages”, he told to the Malagasy. 

Andry Rajoelina justified his U-turn. “I accepted, I signed up”, he conceded. He said that he has previously displayed good will and operated an opening, but it didn’t work. Whom to blame? Obviously the three other mobilities which “took a decision on latest September 03rd”. Andry Rajoelina actually attempted to operate a fake opening in order to unilaterally implement the Maputo agreements in quite a personal way. Dead duck! The threats of sanction from the international community are becoming clearer. 

Will Andry Rajoelina’s displayed conceited attitude in the name of national sovereignty finally pay off? The president of the HAT is trying to negotiate his return to negotiations, believing himself in position of strength because of the effectiveness of his power. If he succeeds in getting an approval from the European Union’s 27 member countries in a single daytime, it would be a major achievement. Will former ambassador Jean Claude Boidin be able to capitalize Antananarivo’s former mayor’s wish? Any foregone conclusion is still controversial. Are these conditions presented to the International Community part of a strategy to unblock financial backings or just another motive to turn away from negotiations? Anyway, they do look like bluff.