Political parties: does ecology pay off?

Natiora, the name “sings” well. In any case, this new political party is building on the work started by the Maitso or Green party named Hasin’i Madagasikara. The protection of the environment is the leading idea share by every ecological party. The couple of new formations are keen on leaving a footprint in the local political arena at any rate. Does it mean up to contesting elections? So is the million dollar question. The Hasin’i Madagasikara is shortly ahead on Natiora for having been the first party to claim the ecological identity. 

The Rhodes Oil Plant case could potentially be a political launching pad for the ecological parties. Natiora has been created in response to the country’s current situation. The Hasin’i Madagasikara already has its men on this ground. Saraha Rabeharisoa, the Green party’s chairwoman, is currently asking the state for accounts about the administrative measures supposed to put an end to Rhodes Oil Plants smuggle. She is, besides, requiring transparency concerning the management of fines, taxes and custom revenues. The Maitso party would like to keep an eye on the money injected in the public treasure, money supposed to be feeding the national Fund for the environment.  

The Hasin’i Madagasikara is calling upon the settlement of a Superior Council for the Environment, an institution meant to direct the country’s future in accordance with the Kyoto agreements. And concerning this topic, Saraha Rabeharisoa is assessing the Malagasy government’s contributions, whatever their shape, in the setting of the global ecological summit to be held in the Danish capital city Copenhagen in December 2009. The summit will be addressing the mutual preservation of the planet from 2013 until in the years 2020. The genuine stake will be the outstanding financial incentive potentially promised to African countries. The chairwoman of the Hasin’i Madagasikara speaks of some 65 billion dollars dedicated to the black continent for the preservation of the environment. 

In the setting of the world Summit of Copenhagen, “the Green party is ready to get in tune with the government because the planet’s future is at stake”. The opportunism of the young political formation yet still having neither elected officials, nor even any genuine leader, is honouring the environmentalist engagement. Will Hasin’i Madagasikara’s scarce  but very highlighted media shows be enough to propel this party to the rank of top starring actor as equal to the long time internationally recognized organisms and NGOs working for the preservation of the environment? 

Behind their noble reason, the Malagasy environmentalist parties are more specifically interested by positions related to the management of foreign funds dedicated to environment preservation programs, and by their potential influence on the political decisions. The Green party has already spoken out to try to block any planned alteration of environment protection laws by orders stemming from exceptional authorities. Are Hasin’i Madagasikara and Natiora going to make ecology pull rank on politics or drive politics in the sense of ecology? The future will let us know. These parties are appearing as a blow of electoral exotics to voters, it is least that we can tell about them.