Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ANTANANARIVO869
2007-08-29 04:58:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Antananarivo
Cable title:
HIGH COURT ANNOUNCES LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES
how-toVZCZCXRO2727 OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN DE RUEHAN #0869 2410458 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 290458Z AUG 07 FM AMEMBASSY ANTANANARIVO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0284 INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS ANTANANARIVO 000869
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/E, AF/FO
PARIS FOR D'ELIA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PINR MA
SUBJECT: HIGH COURT ANNOUNCES LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES
REF: ANTANANARIVO 813 AND PREVIOUS
UNCLAS ANTANANARIVO 000869
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/E, AF/FO
PARIS FOR D'ELIA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PINR MA
SUBJECT: HIGH COURT ANNOUNCES LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES
REF: ANTANANARIVO 813 AND PREVIOUS
1. (U) On August 23, Madagascar's High Constitutional Court
published the official list of candidates for the September 23
National Assembly elections. 1,542 candidates, of whom 666 are
former deputies, will compete for 127 seats. President
Ravalomanana's Tiako I Madagasikara (TIM) party is the only one with
national coverage. Major political parties are concentrating in
their traditional geographic support bases and an opposition
initiative to launch joint candidates appears to have had limited
success. Most candidates are running as independents; many of them
nominally TIM members who did not get the party's nomination but are
running anyway. This breakdown of party discipline has somewhat
encouraged the opposition to think they can win a substantial
minority - an outright majority remains unlikely. A dissident wing
of TIM called the Committee to Renew TIM (CRT) has put forward 41 of
its own candidates.
2. (U) In a move to rein in parliamentarians and cut down on
corruption, Prime Minister Rabemananjara announced at a cabinet
meeting that National Assembly Deputies will no longer enjoy perks
including sport utility vehicles, gas coupons, telephone credits,
and free airline tickets. This announcement received strong public
approval, although many question whether these changes will stick if
the administration needs to woo Deputies in the future.
3. (SBU) COMMENT: As usual, rumors abound in Madagascar that the
French are directly or indirectly backing opposition candidates.
The President is reportedly hopeful redistricting will help win some
seats away from the opposition in Tulear, support base of Jean
Lahiniriko's party, and Tamatave, support base of Roland Ratsiraka's
party. The extent of malaise within the TIM party is still unclear,
but the opposition may have lost its window to take advantage of the
internal divisions by failing to resolve leadership issues,
articulate a common platform, and launch joint candidates in more
districts. END COMMENT.
MARQUARDT
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/E, AF/FO
PARIS FOR D'ELIA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PINR MA
SUBJECT: HIGH COURT ANNOUNCES LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES
REF: ANTANANARIVO 813 AND PREVIOUS
1. (U) On August 23, Madagascar's High Constitutional Court
published the official list of candidates for the September 23
National Assembly elections. 1,542 candidates, of whom 666 are
former deputies, will compete for 127 seats. President
Ravalomanana's Tiako I Madagasikara (TIM) party is the only one with
national coverage. Major political parties are concentrating in
their traditional geographic support bases and an opposition
initiative to launch joint candidates appears to have had limited
success. Most candidates are running as independents; many of them
nominally TIM members who did not get the party's nomination but are
running anyway. This breakdown of party discipline has somewhat
encouraged the opposition to think they can win a substantial
minority - an outright majority remains unlikely. A dissident wing
of TIM called the Committee to Renew TIM (CRT) has put forward 41 of
its own candidates.
2. (U) In a move to rein in parliamentarians and cut down on
corruption, Prime Minister Rabemananjara announced at a cabinet
meeting that National Assembly Deputies will no longer enjoy perks
including sport utility vehicles, gas coupons, telephone credits,
and free airline tickets. This announcement received strong public
approval, although many question whether these changes will stick if
the administration needs to woo Deputies in the future.
3. (SBU) COMMENT: As usual, rumors abound in Madagascar that the
French are directly or indirectly backing opposition candidates.
The President is reportedly hopeful redistricting will help win some
seats away from the opposition in Tulear, support base of Jean
Lahiniriko's party, and Tamatave, support base of Roland Ratsiraka's
party. The extent of malaise within the TIM party is still unclear,
but the opposition may have lost its window to take advantage of the
internal divisions by failing to resolve leadership issues,
articulate a common platform, and launch joint candidates in more
districts. END COMMENT.
MARQUARDT