Ravalomanana: the General Richard taking action against the President’s supporters

The HAT’s military dictatorship is flexing its muscles anew. The General Richard Ravalomanana’s forces demonstrated to citizens how they are using the four wheel drives to full capacity, recently purchased by Rajoelina and generously offered by the taxpayer’s money: they are used to silence whatever political demonstration from the opposition. On Saturday, April 28th, 2012, soldiers armed with AK-47 Kalashnikov type rifles intimidated and tracked demonstrators aboard their brand new pick-up type vehicles used by every decent dictatorship in Africa.

It was not even the single visible cliché. The military leaders stood on the path of the demonstration’s leaders trying to negotiate their way into the Place of democracy. Several minutes later, the HAT’s forces launched a massive assault. Ministers, parliamentarians and simple demonstrators were dispersed with tear gas. End of the story.

In the run of the latest repression of this kind in Ambohijatovo repression, the “graduate warlord” Richard Ravalomanana and his men captured nobody but a wounded demonstrator once he was brought to the hospital. This time around, they got far richer pickings: three demonstrators wounded and three arrests.

Each and every politically motivated repression from the HAT is legally covered up by screenwriter Richard Ravalomanana, happening to be drawing his inspiration from past and very real national experience: arsons and looting do create chaos. “There are shopping centers nearby. It is far too risky” he declared while arguing an alleged “climate of insecurity up to Andravoahangy”. There is actually no better example to this but the year 2009’s targeted unrest which contributed to propel the TGV on top.

“I have never witnessed any massive demonstration organizer endorse the responsibility of the consequent security problems,” argued the general when recalling that it has been being the case since 1972. Everything but flattering words for his current boss, aren’t they? Richard Ravalomanana subsequently deflected the attention towards the “violation of the right to work” for retailers systematically have close their shops.

The speech actually does reflect nothing but fear. The armed forces inevitably create clashes at all costs in order to prevent reactionary citizens and politicians from speaking out. “There safe areas like Andohatapenaka. We won’t be troubling them there, even though they get no authorization” satirized General Ravalomanana, whose mission is to protect the place of the prohibited democracy.

The Ravalomanana political sphere systematically challenged by the other Ravalomanana made no secret of its indignation. “Despite the inclusiveness supposed to be ruling the country, ministers and a head of institution are brutally dealt with by soldiers, rifles and tear gas,” denounced Manu Rajaonarivony in the name of the GTT movement which has now recovered home soil. “The Malagasy people are fed up with dictatorship and poverty. The Malagasy have become poorer than ever since the year 2009’s putsch” he added.

The repressed demonstration’s leaders have anyway one left, and not the least consolation. Marc Ravalomanana’s supporters were able to clearly show their strength. They let their unconditional request be known, namely the return of the exiled president. The Zafy political sphere condemned the repression which took place in Ambohijatovo “because it does not contribute to the settlement of the crisis.” The party believes “Malagasy politicians to be in an emergency need of national reconciliation.” And sending a self-proclaimed warlord to deal with peaceful demonstrators is not exactly the most appropriated step in this sense