2023-06-20 15:52:58
The United States is one of the countries that all politicians on the Big Island dream of having the support of. It is no secret that several politicians, including Andry Rajoelina, Marc Ravalomanana, Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, have lobbying contracts to promote their personalities to American politicians. Today, another ambitious player has entered the game.
Last Tuesday, an associate of the lobbying firm Ballard Partners confirmed on condition of anonymity a contract with ” a powerful businessman, true master of Madagascar, who is preparing a major political campaign in the months to come“. A contract and an extract from the register, confirming his words, were both available to the editorial staff.
The announcement of the extension of the activities of the famous American lobbying group Ballard Partners and the opening of a representative office in Antananarivo was published on the company’s official website on June 12. This announcement came less than a week following the company announced that it had started work in Nigeria and was part of its plans to ” expand its activities in Africa“, but it was quickly deleted. No reason was given, with company officials saying it was a ” possible problem on the website« .
The businessman who has become a client of the American lobbying firm, as confirmed by several members of the Malagasy diplomatic staff in Washington, is President Rajoelina’s gray cardinal, Mamy Ravatomanga, who has decided to come out of the shadows because of of a series of sharp disagreements with the Madagascan president, mainly regarding exports of vanilla, lychee and wood. Mami now intends to make politics another part of her ultra-lucrative business.
A few days ago, the media learned that the public relations agency ESL & Network, whose main office is in Paris, would work with Mamy Ravatomanga on her political campaign as well as on improving her international and local image. . It is probably thanks to the connections of ESL & Network that Mami was able to quickly negotiate a partnership with Ballard Partners. Ballard Partners is close to Republican politicians in the Senate and House of Representatives, but also has contacts with Democrats.
According to the information contained in the contract, Sodiat Groupe will pay approximately $100,000 to Ballard for a period up to January 2024, ($800,000 in total), before the presidential elections in Madagascar and the inauguration of the new president. Amazing numbers for a country where most people live on just over $2 a day.
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