Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Antananarivo (Agenzia Fides) - “The Maputo Accord is now being outdated by the events, in addition to the fact that it has never been applied,” sources from Radio Don Boscom the most important Catholic radio station in Madagascar, told Agenzia Fides. Yesterday, in Madagascar, a new government was formed, excluding some of the most important signers of the Maputo Accord (Mozambique).
This agreement was reached on August 9, in the capital of Mozambique, after talks attended by Andry Rajoelina, President of the High Authority of Transition and former Presidents Marc Ravalomanan, Didier Ratsiraka, and Albert Zafy. The agreement calls for the creation of a transitional government of national unity (with the participation of the political formations of the 4 Presidents), which should prepare for a referendum on the new Constitution and national political elections in 15 months. The 4 political leaders, however, were not able to come to an agreement on the distribution of powers in the transitional institutions, in spite of later talks in the Mozambican capital (also known as “Maputo II”).
“Given the impasse that has been reached in the talks, at the beginning of September, Rajoelina called for a popular consensus to decide to proceed with the formation of a new government, although without the participation of the political formations of the former Presidents,” Fides sources say. “On September 4, Rajoelina told Prime Minister Monja Roindefo to form a new executive committee in 72 hours. The time period was extended another 24 hours and yesterday evening (September 8), there was an announcement of the formation of a new government body. The new government also held its first meeting yesterday evening.”
Within the new executive committee are also several opponents of Rajoelina, including the Vice-Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs Cecile Manorohanta, who was Defense Minister in the Ravalomanana Administration.
The formation of the new government was harshly criticized by former President Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana. The former called the new executive committee “a unilateral de facto government and not a government of consensus. I encourage Andry Rajoelina and Monja Roindefo to step down from this illegitimate government. They are trampling on the Constitution. How can you ask the military to put order in Madagascar when those who lead the country do not respect the fundamental law?”
Ravalomanana, from his exile in South Africa, affirmed: “I am against this new government, that does not restore Constitutional order. The Maputo Accords have been violated.” The former President also criticized the members of his party who have joined the new government: “They are traitors. They are only thinking of personal interests.”
“By early afternoon today, there should be a press conference for the opposition,” Fides sources said. “According to some in the capital, the opposition is trying to create a parallel administration; not only a government but also a magistrature and local institutions.”
“The people are helplessly observing this political clash, in which general interest is eclipsed by the ambitions of those who thirst for power. It is a situation that has been denounced by the Bishops, who in a recent publication express their concern for the weakening of the national institutions, which opens the doors to crime and corruption,” Fides sources concluded. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 9/9/2009)
