Late but firm response from the President

“The president is working the issue out, in case you were wondering which way did he go.” So did Hery Rajaonarimampianina address the Prime Minister appointment related issue and his silence in response to the Mapar MP group’s loud sigh. He capitalized his words into deeds by rejecting the candidate imposed by the current majority in the National Assembly. This appointment will eventually come true “in the spirit of national reconciliation and respect of the law .”
Any national unity prime minister from a consensus with the President of the Republic means a defeat for Andry Rajoelina’s Mapar MP group longing for a solid grip on the executive power topped by a grateful president. “We have no plan B ready, because we stuck to what the law says,” conceded Maharante Jean de Dieu. The member of parliament and legal adviser to the former head of the Transition refers to the famous Article 54 of the Constitution which granted to the Mapar MP group endowed with 49 MPs and 25 allies from the GPS, the prerogative to nominate the Prime Minister. No majority MP group is however allowed to put any prime minister through if the candidate does not match the elected president’s expectations, namely in this case, national reconciliation.
In Ambohitsorohitra , the clock is being played . “There should be no hurry to appoint the prime minister.” The President gives his instructions on selection criteria and personal vision of state matters management. “The Constitution is a fundamental law from which no one may deviate ,” he said, presumably to reassure the Mapar group as well as those suspecting to override the Article 54. He stressed however that the very same Constitution is primarily concerned with the stability of the ruling power. Clearly, the Mapar was basically expected to propose a genuine national unity Prime Minister, at least in accordance with the President’s aspirations of national reconciliation and political stability.
Now that the pro-Rajoelina parliamentarian majority has been put back to its place, President Rajaonarimampianina begins to flex his muscles. He proceeded to replace three members of the High Constitutional Court, of which its president Jean Michel Rajaonarivony. Judges Yvonne Raharisoa and Fara Alice Ravaoarisoa as well as lawyer Jean Eric Rakotoarisoa have been straight away appointed by the head of state. The other High Constitutional Court major members have to wait for elections to put them in charge. The Court’s many requests for the right to give an opinion concerning the new Constitution would have hurried the process. The debate on the Constitution’s Article 54 is far from over.
Would Hery Rajaonarimampianina possibly be willing to put a prime minister stemming from his presidential majority by giving a different interpretation of constitutional provisions  In any case, Jules Etienne tries to negotiate with the independent MPs in order to consolidate the Presidential Majority’s position in the parliament. The timing was actually perfect, since the special session in the National Assembly was closed without the opportunity to establish immutable parliamentary groups. Independent MPs from the GPS MP group are still allowed to swap sides for a while. The PMP’s objective consists into the following: the Article 54’s addressed majority has to become the product of alliances dealt within the parliament and not remain the parliamentary input of external political parties which won legislative elections.