Panorama: a charter falsely inclusive and far from being consensual

The text aims at luring the international community, so that it finally recognizes the unconstitutional government change in Madagascar. Thus, the Rajoelina mobility and its political allies stemming from other “lower-mobilities” tried to adopt the main ideas from the International Contact Group (ICG)’s charter proposal. 

The TGV and the HAT want to give an inclusive and consensual appearance to the transition, to validate and tighten their grip on power which they earned back in latest March. They would have 18 months left then to govern without popular legitimacy. 

In short, here is what the Rajoelina mobility and its allies have decided: Andry Rajoelina remains the head of his State High Authority and thereupon becomes a super chief of state with twice more power in hand than an elected president. He would have the outstanding privilege to designate the majority of the transition’s “parliamentarians” who will be congress members. 

Andry Rajoelina can still lean on the background veterans used to political struggle and rewarded with positios in the HAT for their contribution to the political takeover. This institution made “illegitimate” by the fact of not being originated from a political convention will die down, but its members would automatically enter the” Transition’s Council “. 

The Panorama hotel’s fake convention pretends to reshuffle the government of transition, though following the super president’s will. It recommends maintaining Prime minister Monja Roindefo and his government’s present members even though their removal is not impossible. The HAT emphasizes on the word “inclusive” by booking six irrelevant ministerial portfolios for the Ravalomanana, Ratsiraka and Zafy mobilities. 

Representatives of a couple of economic operating groups are standing by the side of political parties close to the Andry Rajoelina mobility. Could their participation be enough to justify the creation of an economic and social Council? It will be a strange hybrid institution because 60% of its members will stem from the private sector and 40% will be social and cultural operators. In any case, it is more a politically oriented institution than an effective think tank or a decision making task force to relaunch the economy heavily punished by the lasting crisis. 

In spite of the absence of his mobility from the Panorama hotel, a place that he knows very well, Albert Zafy is constantly called upon by the Andry Rajoelina mobility. It actually tries to integrate the professor in its strategy by making him the head of a national Council for reconciliation. The ex-president has so far logically been turning the offer down although he has been since several years, head of a political movement for reconciliation. The TGV puts forward a provincial approach to reconcile Madagascans, in order to convince Albert Zafy. 

The HAT charter debated with its allies at the Panorama hotel maintains the controversial military Council of national Defence. This organ has been put in place for the high strategy’s sake, and indeed in order to save the HAT’s face. It has allowed giving honorary functions to generals, since both formerly rebel colonels are currently in charge of the national defence ministry and of the armed forces. Finally, the HAT wants the HCC to become a transition’s institution under its current shape and composition.