Marc Ravalomanana does not surrender yet

Neither the Special Electoral Court nor the transitional presidency will obviously provide the Ravalomanana political sphere with any solution to its tactical error of trying to enforce Lalao Ravalomanana’s candidacy.

Ballot printing process suspended, isn’t it?

Marc Ravalomanana himself will have to intervene to slow the on going process down. Easier to say…”I have tried to make them postpone the elections, yet without success” he conceded. But would now the president’s doggedness proved fruitful? According to his say, the ballot printing process has not yet started, and now gets called off. As a matter of fact it is. Beatrice Attalah, the president of the Electoral Commission, confirmed it, addressed however a technical issue supposed to cost a couple of days long delay. Marc Ravalomanana provided the reason, namely a political ground to this delay. One more name is potentially likely to appear on the ballot.

The president held in exile revealed to his supporters that the International Contact Group plans a meeting to address Madagascar’s situation as closely as it can, and first and foremost the inclusion of the Ravalomanana sphere into the electoral process.

Restoration of order inside the sphere

Mamy Rakotoarivelo’s position on top of the sphere gets increasingly strong, for being backed by the sphere’s very founding father, the former president still held out in exile. Leading a small delegation, composition of which is made of members of a newborn party named ZANAK’I DADA (Daddy’s Children), Mamy Rakotoarivelo is in for a briefing with Marc Ravalomanana in South Africa on 3rd September 2013.

As a sign that nothing is yet to be lost for good, the political sphere will jointly decide, who is deemed to fly under its colors in the incoming presidential race. “The sphere as a whole has actually not yet decided anything about it” recalled Marc Ravalomanana.

Not yet a done deal though!

Could the ICG eventually agree on the need to restore the Ravalomanana sphere into the presidential race, and issue an official “suggestion” in this sense, the capitalization of such a process will prove problematic anyway. It would induce a new order, a new verdict from the Special Electoral Court, and finally no less than a 10 days long delay on the ballot printing schedule. The organization of the elections as a whole is likely to be jeopardized to a certain extent.

Besides, Marc Ravalomanana called upon his supporters to stay true to each other. The critics and accusations directed against Mamy Rakotoarivelo and his latest attempt to replace Lalao Ravalomanana must have not pleased him. Still, a succession war is already looming in sight. The sphere’s number one feels however eager to deal with the pending issue the quickest and the hardest possible way in South Africa. “Let it be clear to anyone willing to support another candidate or eventually to double cross that they are free to leave, and would do well to it now” warned Marc Ravalomanana.

The Ravalomanana sphere believes national reconciliation to be a much more relevant priority compared to the elections. The sphere happens to keep on being very confident into the FFKM lead process, although the electoral campaign is already on track. The politicians are likely to lack time to address any negotiation. Scores of them do turn the reconciliation into their own motto for the sake of drawing more of the Ravalomanana sphere’s ground.