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Antananarivo (Agenzia Fides) – The new Prime Minister “of consensus” of Madagascar, Eugene Mangalaza, was appointed in a decree signed by the President of the High Authority of Transition, Andry Rajoelina.
Mangalaza's appointment as Premier was approved on October 6 by the movement of the “4 Presidents,” signers of the Maputo Accords of August 9 (see Fides 8/10/2009). The Maputo Accords, signed by the President of the High Authority of Transition and the 3 former Presidents of Madagascar: Marc Ravalomanana, Didier Ratsiraka, and Albert Zafy, call for the establishment of a transitional government of national unity, led by a Premier “of consensus” (agreed upon by the 4 signers).
One of the obstacles to the implementation of the Maputo Accords was the refusal of the Prime Minister appointed by Rajoelina, Monja Roindefo, to resign. He does not seem willing to cede his position. In fact, an editor from Don Bosco Radio in Antananarivo told Agenzia Fides, “Roindefo has presented an appeal to the Constitutional Court against the decree of the new Premier's appointment, calling for its nullification.”
Monja Roindefo is the head of an important political party in Madagascar named “Monima,” which has been indirectly involved in the Maputo Accords, in that Roindefo was part of the coalition supporting Rajoelina. “The agreement on the implementation of the Maputo Accords looks like it will be signed by the 4 political leaders this weekend. However, it is clear that a fifth protagonist, the incumbent Premier Roindefo, will have to be involved in order to establish the conditions that can lead to political stability in the country,” Fides sources said.
Another obstacle in the realization of the Maputo Accords is from the stance that has been taken by former President Marc Ravalomanana. At first, his movement affirmed that it would not sign the protocol for action of the accords if Rajoelina remained provisional Head of State. Immediately, Ravalomanana's party affirmed that they accepted Rajoelina in his continuing to be Head of State in the period of transition, as long as he did not enter the presidential race in 2010. “Ravalomanana's stance has been criticized even by the representative of the UN who, although using diplomatic terms, firmly spoke out in recalling that the Maputo Accords say that all the signers can present themselves as candidates in the presidential race. This is the first time that a high-ranking representative of the international community takes such a firm position in facing Ravalomanana, who until now has always been somewhat supported by the UN, the African Union, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It is probable that his resistance to the implementation of the Maputo Accords has bothered mediators so much that if Ravalomanana were to place new obstacles in their path, he would be left isolated,” our source concluded. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 13/10/2009)
