Presidential election: the politically motivated election law

His fourth Republic was granted a Constitution set to measure for its leader. The presidential candidate’s legally required age has been lowered, as if anyone could be allowed to vote at 15. Will Andry Rajoelina now be favored by the law supposed to rule the presidential elections? Most likely since the Rajoelina sphere unilaterally adopted a law aiming at ruling a feared and inconvenient opposition, although the international community increasingly longs for its participation into the next presidential elections.

The TGV party obviously denied targeting anyone in particular. The trick remains however just as so obvious. The draft declares that “the presidential candidate must prove that he has been residing on the territory of the Republic of Madagascar during the latest six months before the day on which he submits the application. “

The trick requires however an electoral deadline. After suffering an umpteenth blow in 2012 in straining to recover legitimacy for his putsch originated power, Andry Rajoelina recovered the previously rejected UN experts’ proposal. He announced a likely election to be potentially deemed to take place in May 2013. The CENIT is being expected to turn an electoral schedule out by the end of July 2012. Andry Rajoelina would, by so doing, be able to push for legislative elections and enforce his TGV devoted men into the parliamen before the end of the year.
Preventing the exiled president from recovering home soil six months before the concerned deadline is the Rajoelina sphere’s plan’s second part. Should such a return ever be inevitable, the electoral law would serve as the latest protecting trench for the TGV. “The presidential candidate (…) must be registered in the electoral registered and not be condemned for any crime or offense.” Marc Ravalomanana, previously condemned in a politically motivated and conducted trial in 2009, would not be allowed to stand without an amnesty firmly retained by the HAT. The message is clear: “condemned and non pardoned individuals will have nothing to do in an election.”

And could Marc Ravalomanana keep breaking through in spite of all of these hurdles, the Rajoelina loaded one more weapon. “as can be proved over the three latest years prior to the elections, every candidate must have repaid his taxes” reads the electoral draft. The article targets no one else but the founder of the TIKO corporation, facilities of which were looted and set alight by Andry Rajoelina’s men in 2009. The company could not pay taxes during the latest three years.

The Rajoelina sphere also decided to rise charges. Whatever presidential candidate will have to pay no less than 50 million Ariary. The reason is primarily financial. The cash is expected to cover “the ruling power’s expenses, namely printing costs, required by the organization of the election of the first President of the Fourth Republic “. Whoever getting 10% of votes or more at the first round would be able to recover his money, of course. By the way, did Rajoelina not argue, some time earlier, that the single ballot would free candidates from printing costs?