CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
by Ratsiazo L. Prince, Madagascar, May 1999
THEME = POLITICS
Extreme suspicion about the project of setting-up self governing provinces
In 1895, the French colonial administration divided the country into six provinces, with their administrative centres in Tananrive, Fianarantosoa, Tamatave, Majunga, Tuléar and Diégo- Suarez. There were no changes under the three post- colonial governments.
Antananarivo, as Madagascar's capital, was still the main centre for all decision-making. Anything to do with governing the country was decided on from the capital, so much so that the saying was: "Regimes are made and unmade in Antananarivo". So all power was centred in the capital, and regional administrators simply carried out the orders from their masters in Antananarivo.
The Malagasy people are ambitious by nature and yearn for their independence, so they've always shown resistance to this colonial form of centralised government with its "divide and rule" philosophy. So much so, that the fact of the major ethnic groups being sub-divided into 18 clans was an open door to tribal disputes, and an effective block for any protest movement. Even though Madagascar became independent on 26 June, 1960, the shadow of French colonisation still hovered over the country, and made itself felt by France's firm grip on Madagascar's economy.
Reacting against this neo-colonisation, the Malagasy nationalists acted with some force against this excessive exploitation of the country's wealth by mainly French companies. And this, is spite of the neo-colonialist government's threat to crack down on any resistance.
Indeed, the Malagasy people have been calling for the establishment of self-governing provinces, because they fear for the future development of their individual province's socio-politico-economic development, if things remain as they are. Still, it must be appreciated that the existence of self- governing provinces could be a real danger to Madagascar's national unity - a unity so much sought after by both the party in power and the Opposition.
Since Independence in 1960, political leaders have been calling for the decentralisation of their individual provinces from Antananarivo. Nothing has changed in this area, but in the higher political echelons there's always the haunting fear that ethnic unrest will lead to the country splitting apart.
One group wants decentralisation of power from the capital to the provinces; others call for complete regional independence. President Ratsiraka has had to find a solution to these opposing ideas, so what did he do? He called a referendum in view of setting up self-governing regions. The Referendum was scheduled for 15 March 1998. The result was that of the six main provinces, three voted against the motion. However, the "yes" votes carried the day because they managed a 50% of total votes plus some decimal points. So self-governing provinces are now the order of the day in spite of an electoral victory which is extremely suspect.
In order to get the project off the ground, the government established A National Committee for Establishing Self-Governing Provinces (CNATP) under the chairmanship of Mr.Rakotomanana Honoré. He's a well-known legal expert and the President's cabinet secretary. Because of the project's importance, a real shindig was laid on for its official launching. But following the President's example, (he'd left the previous day on a visit overseas), most of the senior opposition hierarchy didn't attend either, although they had been invited.
In addition to their practical knowledge, ability and experience, the 17 CNATP members were chosen so as to ensure a balance between the regions they come from and their tribal origins. Their mission is mainly economic, social, political and juridical. They have to criss-cross the six provinces on awareness campaigns, so that the people understand why this new form of administration is being established according to the Constitutional amendments. The CNATP members must also have direct discussions with local leaders so they can amass all the necessary information on social and economic matters. In theory, their findings will be used at a later stage to draw up a draft outline which will be used as a basis for establishing the self-governing provinces.
The CNATP will have to look for ways and means of ensuring that the new system of government really takes into account people's needs and desires, and that the State remains ONE.
In Madagascar, the Opposition seems to always want to oppose any initiative put forward by the ruling party. But the fact that many political observers and analysts also have differing viewpoints from those who conceived and developed the project for establishing self-governing provinces, cannot be ignored. For these people, there are strong elements of doubt about the whole idea. They say, the project was falsified right from the start, since nearly half of those who should have voted in the referendum were not able to vote, and in any case, the final vote-tally was a mere 50%, plus a few bits and pieces. Hardly a majority vote! - in spite of the Constitutional High Court confirming the results. Of course, just before the referendum, each High Court member happened to receive a small "gift" in the shape of a new Renault Megane.
On the financial side, the Malagasy government is debt- ridden and nearly the whole population is living beneath the poverty line. So where is the government going to find the money, (billions are needed), to set up these self-governing provinces, and to conduct regional (gubernatorial, provincial, etc.) elections?
And what about the future provincial leaders? Will they have the necessary skills to govern their provinces with wisdom and knowledge, when the only experience they've ever had was that of the 1991-1992 tribal federal system?
The list of negative points is long, but the government is set on carrying out the project saying that this is what the people want, even though the referendum result was fishy, to say the least. Certainly, the ruling party can't afford to make any mistakes when setting up these self-governing provinces.
END
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