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Antananarivo (Agenzia Fides) – "Andry Rajoelina has now closed the dialogue with the three former Presidents and intends to go on alone. The Maputo Accords are now a dead letter," Fides was told by a journalist at Radio Don Bosco, the main Catholic radio station in Madagascar, where yesterday, December 16, the President of the High Authority of Transition, Andry Rajoelina, announced that the March 20 there will be voting to elect a Constituent Assembly. This is a turning point in the island's political crisis that began in March 2009 with the resignation of President Marc Ravalomanana, under the pressures of popular demonstrations led by then opposition leader Rajoelina, who has become President of the High Authority of Transition, an interim body not called for by the Constitution, which has the task of preparing the revision of the Constitution and leading the country to new elections. The legitimacy of Rajoelina, however, is disputed by Mr. Ravalomanana, who claims to have resigned under force from the army. The African Union and Southern African Development Community (SADC) intervened to enforce a mediation entrusted to the former President of Mozambique, Joaquim Chissano, involving Rajoelina and the 3 previous Heads of State: Marc Ravalomanana, Didier Ratsiraka, and Albert Zafy. The mediation resulted in the Maputo Accords on August 9 and in those of Addis Ababa in November (see Fides 7/11/2009). The agreements call for the creation of a national unity government with the participation of the movements of the 4 presidents, who will lead the country to new elections. The implementation of the agreements, however, has remained stalled on the allocation of ministries.
In an effort to overcome the deadlock, another meeting in Maputo had been convened. However, Rajoelina's movement did not participate. "Rajoelina boycotted the meeting in Maputo as he feared being outvoted and forced to make further concessions to the opposition. In addition, the chairman of the Transition was not happy with a letter sent by the other 3 movements to the UN and Danish authorities, stating that Rajoelina could not represent Madagascar at the climate summit in Copenhagen, as he is not the legitimate head of state. This statement violates the agreements in Maputo, which recognizes Rajoelina as the provisional presidency of Madagascar," sources told Fides. In retaliation Rajoelina prevented the delegation, which includes the movements of the 3 former presidents, to return to Madagascar from Maputo.
"There have still not been any reactions to the announcement of Rajoelina on the part of the 3 former presidents or by the international community. The population wants to vote as soon as possible as they are tired of this interminable crisis which is having a negative impact on the economy and the standard of living," concludes Fides' source. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 17/12/2009)
