As the Malagasy president tries to close ranks within his majority, he knows that the coming months will be decisive if he wants to be re-elected at the end of 2023.
Difficult period for the Malagasy president. Its Prime Minister, Christan Ntsay, was targeted by a motion of censure. The parliamentarians accuse the head of the Malagasy government of projects not carried out when they were part of the general policy of the State, but also the interference of the government in the internal affairs of the National Assembly. Another grievance: corruption, which has never stopped at the highest level of the state.
And surprisingly, if this motion could be tabled, it is thanks to the support of the majority deputies. The motion was ultimately rejected, as it did not respect “the constitutional provisions in force”. A very diplomatic defect. But the elected officials threaten to return to the charge.
And if it is the Prime Minister who is targeted, through him, it is Andry Rajoelina who has to weather a real storm. The president has also, the day before the meeting in the Assembly, convened his deputies to put things in the clear. He challenged his majority and asked that it reconsider its motion. The President of the Assembly would have, in the words of the deputies, been “humiliated”.
Will Rajoelina be able to hold his deputies for a long time? And if the majority decides to drive the point home, there is no doubt that it will cause a political earthquake and mark a disagreement between the presidency and parliament.
In the meantime, the Malagasy president is doing everything to make up for lost time and does not hesitate to put some pressure on his ministers. On International Anti-Corruption Day on December 9, Rajoelina and his government reiterated their anti-corruption goals.
An anti-Rajoelina alliance?
The president multiplies the offensive outings: a few days ago, he called to order, in public, the boss of Madagascar Airlines and his Minister of Transport, in open conflict. He also summoned the Secretary of State in charge of Housing to quickly settle the debt of the Chinese company responsible for securing and upgrading the Bateau stadium in Mahamasina.
Symbolic gestures, supposed to raise Rajoelina's popularity rating. Because time is running out: the Malagasy president has less than a year to avoid defeat. Next November, in eleven months, the Malagasy will go to the polls to elect their president.
If the opposition did not seem able to shake the ambitions of the president, in front of him, Rajoelina sees the threat getting closer. Two former heads of state of the island, Hery Rajaonarimampianina and Marc Ravalomanana, would indeed be ready to join forces to block the way for their successor. Africa Intelligence claims that the two former presidents began negotiations last summer. Objective ? Form an alliance and invite other opponents from all sides to join them.