This Friday evening, March 31, on Malagasy national television, the Minister of the Interior announced that all demonstrations of a political nature in a public place are now prohibited and must be held only in an enclosed place in order “to preserve the public order “.
“This measure applies to all political parties and all parliamentarians,” said the minister, except for members of the executive, “who need to meet and listen to the population.” A decision that was quick to react to politicians and civil society, who see in this new ban, a violation of public freedoms and a hardening of the government’s repressive offensive, seven months before the presidential election.
Some first thought it was an “April Fool” before realizing that the minister’s announcement was not a joke. For Faraniaina Ramarosaona, an eminent figure in civil society, these new rules enacted are “surreal” and mark a “double standard”.
“Inconceivable”
“It is inconceivable that we can ban the organization of political events. Because we are undermining the freedom to demonstrate peacefully, which is the corollary of freedom of expression. And the executive places himself above the rest and can do whatever he wants. According to the minister’s note, Mr. President will be authorized to speak, inaugurate, to harangue the crowd. There is an unequal situation there. It’s a very bad signal,” said Faraniaina Ramarosaona.
For his part, Hajo Andrianainarivelo, the president of the Malagasy MMM party and former minister of President Rajoelina, is the first political figure to have been publicly indignant this weekend against this ban on demonstrations in public places: “It is a denial of democracy. We strongly condemn this statement and this decision, especially on the eve of a crucial election. The Constitution is no longer respected. How do you want to have confidence in future deadlines if the government is doing everything now to prevent the voice of political parties and civil society from being heard? What interests this regime is to stay in place. Nothing stops them. And today we are heading toward dictatorship. It is extremely serious. »