Malagasy public sector is still addicted to corruption

Yesterday, the representative of Transparency International, Mr; Dominique Rakotomalala, presented the global corruption report 2010 in which it is clearly disclosed that corruption in Madagascar has increased (and is still increasing) during the transition.
Transparency international revealed on its report that since the beginning of the transition, the situation of the corruption in Madagascar has worsened. According to such report, Madagascar is now at the 13rd rank on a list of 178 countries.
All public sectors of the state administration are “infected”. The most corrupted are:
- decentralized communities and municipalities;
- the gendarmerie;
- courts (justice);
- police;
- land department.

Investigations have been made before public bodies and politicians.

Fight against corruption still has a lot of efforts to do. Someone told me that the BIANCO (public body in charge of the fight against corruption) and the SAMIFIN (public body in charge of the fight against money laundering) will be soon deleted. Is it the appropriate solution?

QMM’s employees can’t enter their site

Since Monday, an association named “Fagnomba” blocks the way to the gate of QMM’s site in Mandena, Tolagnaro. This association wants QMM to prioritize local population for its recruitment and local products for its puchase.
QMM has declared that it can’t negotiate unless the association removes its barricade which prevents QMM’s employees to enter the site.
Yesterday, Fagnomba’s demands increased. The association wants the resignation of the HR manager, the supply manager and community liaison manager of Qit Minerals Madagascar.
QMM apparently is now facing the same complicated problem as Sherritt Madagascar.
What is behind all of that?
Let’s remind that just after the takeover of Andry Rajoelina last year, the HAT has appointed a French law firm to analyze the contracts between the Malagasy state and the big foreign mining firms working in Madagascar. We all know that Andry Rajoelina’s administration will never dare to question the legality of these contracts, especially when they bring lots of tax income for the (orange) State. And if it does so, these International firms always have the possibility to sue the Malagasy state before the ICSDI (International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes) where it has no ghost of a chance to win.
Is it thinkable that the Andry Rajoelina and his HAT are behind all of these sudden social protests to put more pressure on these International mining firms?
Concerning the recruitment, it is a legal principle that the employer has the sovereign right to hire who they want.

Maître Radson Solo is the new president of the bar

Maître Radson Solo was elected as the new president of the Malagasy bar association last Saturday during a General Assembly of the Lawyers of Madagascar. The election was handled in the courtroom n°: 04 at the tribunal courts of Anosy.

He got 301 votes against 208 for his opponent, Maître Ratovondrajao Fredon. Maître Antoine Ralay also competed.

The last president of the bar was Maître Hery Rakotomanana, the current president of the C.E.N.I. (National Independent Commission for Elections), a public body which was created by the H.A.T. (High Authority of the Transition) to organize, to supervise and to monitor public elections in Madagascar. This public body is supposed to be independent and it is the guarantor of free and fair elections in Madagascar, however, the members of its central board were appointed by decree. Because of this decree of appointment, the C.N.M.D.D.H. (Malagasy National Committee for the defense of human rights) led by a well known Malagasy lawyer, Alisaona Raharinarivonirina, sued the Malagasy state before the council of state (supreme administrative tribunal) for violation of a general legal principle related to the equality between citizens and associations. According to this association (the only one which has dared to challenge the Didier Ratsiraka’s administration during the hard time of red socialist revolution era!), the Malagasy state has failed to comply with its transparency obligations when it has called for candidacies for the C.E.N.I. According to this association, this is just about a “bad-taste circus” because the identities of the C.E.N.I. members were already known by the Malagasy state before it issued its decree of appointment. The C.N.M.D.D.H. asked for two things: the deferred execution and the  cancellation of the decree. The council of state has decided to reject the request for deferred execution.

 

Sarah Marrow at Point Liberty Andranomena

Tomorrow, the US embassy in Antananarivo will organize a press conference with Sarah MORROW, a US trombonist, composer and lyricist.

Here are few information about Sarah MORROW that I friendly copycatted (no, I stole nothing …) on her blog :

Trombonist/ Composer/ Lyricist Sarah Morrow was born in Houston, Texas but attended junior high and high school in Pickerington, Ohio. An area rich in marching and concert band tradition, Sarah started her musical path by playing in her school bands as well as in groups at the all-city and all-state level. She attended Ohio University and graduated summa cum laude with a BS degree in Communications. Following her education, she began working at an arts center in New Jersey and it was during this time where she decided to pursue her passion for jazz.

Shortly thereafter, Sarah was discovered by the legendary Ray Charles, and became the first female instrumentalist to be a member of his orchestra. She toured with the legend for two years and left the group to join a smaller band led by Foley (ex-lead bassist of Miles Davis). She has since toured, recorded and performed with many great artists including Dee Dee Bridgewater, David Murray, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, organist Rhoda Scott, funk legend Pee Wee Ellis, the American All-Stars in Paris, the Mingus Tribute Orchestra with Mingus alumni Ted Curson and Ricky Ford and most recently with iconic New Orleans pianist/ singer/ songwriter Dr. John.

With the release of her first album “Greenlight” in 1999, Sarah launched her solo career and has gone on to win critical acclaim as a prominent soloist, bandleader, and composer /arranger around the world. Winner of the 2005 Cork Jazz Festival “Rising Star” award, Sarah continues to tour as a leader and guest artist throughout Western and Eastern Europe, USA, Africa, United Arab Emirates and Asia. She made her home in Paris, France and currently shares her time between Paris, and NYC.

As a bandleader, headlining under her own name, Sarah has performed all over the world, at top festivals and venues such as the Newport Jazz Festival, the Kennedy Center (Washington DC), Philips Dubai Jazz Festival, Nice Jazz Festival, JVC Festivals worldwide, Freihoffer’s Jazz Fest (Saratoga), Budapest, Brno, Newport Japan, Croatia, etc, etc!!! Her 2006 set at the Kennedy Center erupted the hall into a standing ovation just 20 minutes into her performance; this recorded concert was chosen to represent live jazz music in America in the NPR World Special “Washington DC: A City of Music”

Coming from a straight ahead background, her roots immersed in swing, blues, and soul– Sarah has used these roots to discover new directions in jazz combining urban elements while still remaining true to jazz. As trombone great, Steve Turre said, “Sarah Morrow….. is moving the instrument and the music forward”.

Sarah is an avid composer, arranger and lyricist. You can hear music of Sarah’s placed in film and tv outlets such as the 2009 Nigerian film, “Hurricane in the Rose Garden” by Pascal Atuma (Maverick).> Sarah is endorsed by the Getzen/Edwards Instrument Company and has been a prominent artist in their sales campaigns since 2000.

For sure, during that press conference which will be held at Point Liberty Andranomena, she will talk about her music, conditions of (Jazz?) artists throughout the world, especially in the US, and all this kind of stuff.

She will make a gig on Thursday at 07.00pm at the covered gymnasium of Ankorondrano, and on Saturday at 02.30pm at Ambohijatovo square (the so-called “Democracy square”)

The official estbalishments of the Parliament of the Transition is on the way

Yesterday afternoon, one of the transitional institutions was solemnly set up: the CST (High Council of the Transition).

According to the political agreement of Ivato (August 11th, 2010) and the resolutions of the national conference which took place on September 14-18, a transitional parliament will be set up: the CST and the CT (Transitional Congress). The CST will play the rule of the upper chamber, the senate. The CT will play the rule of the lower chamber, the national assembly. These 02 parliamentary bodies will remain on power only for few months until March 16th, 2011, date of the first legislative elections of the 04th republic.

The location of the CST is in Anosy, at the Senate house. It is constituted by 90 “high counselors”. Here is the political distribution of the CST seats:

president of the HAT: 06 people;

prominent citizens: 06 people (prominent due to their deeds and their respectability within the Malagasy society – vague concept – traditional and useless social category);

TGV political party: 10 people;

UDR Fanovana: 25 people (the UDR Fanovana is a political association which gathers all the political parties which back Andry Rajoelina and his HAT)

ESCOPOL: 18 people (the ESCOPOL is a political association which gathers all the political parties and associations which took part into the drafting of the Ivato political agreement of August 11th, 2010)

HSPM: 02 people

AREMA: 02 people

TIM: 21 people

According to the minister of finances and budget, Mr. Hery Rajaonarimampianina, the corrective finances act has already provided a budget for the CST: 14,832,736,697 Ariary. Knowing the lifestyle in which Malagasy MPs are used to, it is obvious that such budget will not be enough for the CST members.

Yesterday, there were some CST members who were already ready to vote for their permanent board. Such permanent board will be constituted by 01 president and 06 vice president. After some argues, they finally agreed on setting up an ad hoc committee which will prepare the board elections and draft the CST internal rules. These internal rules will be presented to the CST members during their first General Assembly tomorrow. This ad hoc committee is constituted by 02 representatives from each members-entities.

Today afternoon, the lower chamber of the transition will be officially established: the CT, in Tsimbazaza at the National Assembly house. It will be constituted by:

president of the HAT: 07 people;

discretionary power of the HAT president: 11 people (discretionary power on what?);

prominent citizens: 22people;

TGV: 52 people;

UDR Fanovana: 29 people;

ESCOPOL: 62 people;

HSPM: 07 people;

AREMA: 07 people;

The “Other Sensitivities”: 07 people (very vague political concept – aims to identify political trends other than the (former?) four movements)

TIM: 52 people.

Question: After the establishment ceremony of the CT today afternoon in Tsimbazaza, is the HAT (High Authority of the Transition) definitively and legally dead?