Jacques Sylla: one decade on the top, but in the shade of Marc Ravalomanana

Once upon a time, Jacques Sylla was a one of the greatest and most notorious lawyers of his time. This old school graduate was no sort of the present generation’s overgraduated men in black, for “only” having completed four years of law studies rewarded with a license. The graduate became a self made man through raw experience on battleground. The business lawyer endorsed political suit as foreign affairs minister during Albert Zafy’s presidency, as he was, at the time, representing the Tiko Group’s interests in court. In the logical run of events, Jacques Sylla was part of the jurists at candidate Marc Ravalomanana’s service who fought to draw recognition of his boss’ first tour electoral victory by the beginning of 2002.  

The governmental adventure: To that time, the TIM was only an association. A relevant figure had to be designated. Jacques Sylla matched the profile: a former minister from the Zafy “mobility”, a man from the coast born in Saint-Marie with a French name and so on… This man shaped like a true man of state was meant to be able to support a “young” President who, by that time, had  not yet proved his own capacity in politics . Jacques Sylla was named on top of the “insurgent government”, and kept in charge after the second presidential ceremony held on May 06th, 2002 by Marc Ravalomanana. Jacques Sylla was going to be at the heart of the country’s economic recovery. He had to be the regime’s single Prime minister to reach the end of his mandate.  

The political arena: Tiako i Madagasikara turned into a political party. Jacques Sylla, by that time Prime minister, has been propelled to the general secretary’s position. The empowered party dominated the legislative and local elections. The relationship between President Ravalomanana and his Prime minister of those days has yet been dented by some clashes. In his own camp, Jacques Sylla was suspected to have presidential ambitions. Although quite legitimate, these became causes for tension between both executive heads. President Ravalomanana kept his Prime minister in charge only for the sake of stability during a whole mandate. Jacques Sylla was actually closely monitored. He has even had to undergo censorship on public waves.  

Second mandate: Having been cast away from power by the appointment of Charles Rabemananjara as the new Prime minister, Jacques Sylla was on his way for a comeback on top. As the TIM party’s natural candidate for legislative elections in Saint-Marie, though having been cast away from its leadership by a party convention as well, the man had far larger ambitions. In spite of President Marc Ravalomanana’s reluctance, the former Prime minister was preparing the launch pad to the national assembly’s presidency long before the vote. The labour finally proved to have paid off. Against all odds, Jacques Sylla recovered the institution’s top leadership in 2007. His relationship with President Ravalomanana did not improve for so much.  He did no more hesitate to criticize the power. In 2009, Jacques Sylla directed the Ravalomanana delegation at the time of the first negotiations with the Andry Rajoelina camp. He capitalized his last political sway on March 14th, on the place of May 13th.