Prime Minister Monja Roindefo in for resistance

Do never say never. Monja Roindefo has taken everyone wrong footed by drawing out his latest legal weapon against the HAT president made appointment order of his successor. His lawyers are back into action again, they are launching an appeal against the State Council’s decision at the State Council itself. The defenders of citizen Monja Roindefo suing the State are using the former administrative chamber’s contradicting decisions as an argument. 

The State Council has actually registered the request made by Monja Roindefo, civilian citizen, and not by the Prime Minister. As a matter of fact, the concerned order, namely the one appointing Eugene Mangalaza as national unity Prime Minister, is already supposed to be suspended until the publication of a decision from the State Council. According to Monja Roindefo’s defense team, all this is a proof of the State Council’s legal ability to address the issue, although the judges justified their decision to turn away from citizen Monja by declaring the opposite. 

Why on earth insisting then? Especially when the HAT Prime Minister’s very lawyers, Me Paul Joseph Rakotoarison and Me Tombontsoa Raharijaona, had clearly stated that “we are out of resorts”? This declaration’s interpretation could be the definite lack of further more legal way forward, on the one hand, or their client Monja Roindefo’s will to accept State Council’s decision, on the other hand. In the end, it might prove to be neither of them. The Monima party’s president is actually playing the clock. After having been granted a week long reprieve as Prime minister with no government, there he goes again with his quest for more time. 

Monja Roindefo lost a battle but the legal war against his accomplice Andry Rajoelina is far from over. Is the second resort to the State Council a waste of time or, on the contrary, a witty way to spare some more of it? The appeal is supposed to mean that the State Council’s previous verdict is, as for now, suspended. Technically, the new national unity Prime Minister’s appointment order is also still suspended. Second resorts will compel the State Council to answer again. A new very long time before the response is, however, not to be automatically taken for granted. 

The HAT Justice minister has already put enough pressure so far to speed up the State Council’s decision and to signify the institution’s inability to make a judgement over a governmental act. Monja Roindefo is well denouncing the “mooves of intimidation” and calling upon “the judiciary’s fairness and independence”. His last chance desperate latest request has, however, very few chances to be favourably received by the State Council.  

The ultimate resort aiming at wining time is, therefore, the High Constitutional Court, still standing in expectation of the High Transitional Court. The legal mist surrounding this case is, for the time being, to the complainant’s liking, at least on the political scheme. Monja Roindefo is claiming his “legalistic” will, and holding on to his job as Prime Minister at least until the signature of next agreements between mobilities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on November 05th, 2009.  He definitely knows that Andry Rajoelina will not dare the hard way to expel him from Mahazoarivo.