Tuesday September 12, 10 of the 13 candidates in the presidential election denounced, in a letter addressed to the Ceni, an “institutional coup d’état”. These candidates accuse the High Constitutional Court of having violated the Constitution by entrusting the reins of the country to the Prime Minister and his government, to ensure the interim of the outgoing president who has resigned. In the missive, the protesting candidates maintain that the institution made a bad interpretation of the texts, and suspect it of having made a decision dictated by the regime. Suspicions that the High Constitutional Court formally denies.
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With our correspondent in Antananarivo,
It all started Saturday evening. In accordance with the Constitution, the President of the Republic Andry Rajoelina is resigning in order to be able to stand as a candidate for his own succession. That same evening, the High Constitutional Court entrusted the interim presidential powers to a collegial government, until the election of the next head of state; the President of the Senate having renounced taking the reins of the country, as provided for in the Constitution.
Only, on Tuesday, 72 hours after this decision, the ten signatory candidates denounced a poor interpretation of the law and accused the Head of State of manipulating institutions to favor his re-election. “ The objective of this letter is to denounce the body which is supposed to give the results of the vote at the end of the election », Explains Eléonore Johasy, who represents the candidate Auguste Paraina.
“ Confidence is crumbling and all the shenanigans and maneuvers that have occurred to date do not favor the fact that we can confidently rely on the various authorities. This decision to renounce the President of the Senate at the last minute seems to me taken very lightly and was accepted lightly. It seems to me that there have been shortcuts, accommodations that go beyond the institutional framework. I think it is the HCC which has gone beyond the constitutional framework. To the extent that the Constitution absolutely does not provide for waiver. »
“ We have an interest in reacting to irregularities committed by institutions like the HCC », Comments for his part the candidate Jean-Brunelle Razafitsiandraofa.
When questioned, the president of the HCC Florent Rakotoarisoa retorted: “ Their problem is the candidacy of Andry Rajoelina. That’s really it! So all these requests for invalidation of his candidacy and requests for opinions tend towards a single goal: the elimination of his candidacy. Here at the HCC, we see no constitutional or legal reason to accept their request for invalidation. » The president of the institution recalls that all decisions were reasoned.
“They say waiver is not a term provided for in the Constitution. But what should the HCC do? The HCC has a solution provided for by the Constitution: it is collegial government! We have only applied the reserve solution provided for by the Constitution. We made sure to ensure the continuity of the State. The HCC cannot take responsibility for creating a legal vacuum to reflect on who should be put in the place of the President of the Senate. It would be a disaster if something happened during the vacancy at the head of state! »
“ In the chancelleries, everyone is watching what is happening. However, we will find as many jurists to criticize this decision of collegial government as to defend it », confides a member of the diplomatic corps on site.
The candidates are awaiting a return from the Ceni. For the moment, none of them has planned to refuse to participate in the vote.