Madagascar’s new army-backed government offered yesterday to start talks with allies of ousted president Marc Ravalomanana to defuse political tensions that risk prolonging the months-long crisis.
Faced with international condemnation and daily protests against his rise, president Andry Rajoelina’s government said national reconciliation talks were scheduled for April 2nd to 3rd.
They would include discussions of when to hold a new presidential poll, the government said.
Foreign powers and Mr Ravalomanana’s supporters say Mr Rajoelina’s assumption of power last week, after the former president handed over power to the military, was effectively a coup d’etat.
Members of Mr Ravalomanana’s political party declined to say whether they would participate in the proposed dialogue.
Mr Rajoelina has vowed to hold an election within two years, but is under pressure to do so sooner.
Unrest prior to Mr Ravalomanana’s fall killed at least 135 people, crippled the island’s $390 million-a-year (€287 million) tourism sector, and unnerved foreign investors in the Indian Ocean island’s burgeoning mine and oil industries.
While the violence has stopped, the spectre of more trouble remains as thousands of Mr Ravalomanana’s supporters rally daily at a park in the capital Antananarivo. Some 12,000 gathered yesterday for the third consecutive day.
Mr Rajoelina’s communications minister, Augustin Andriamananoro, said next week’s talks were intended to include “all stakeholders”, meaning government, military, church and opposition parties.
“The talks will fix the timetable for elections and tackle the points to address further down the line with regard to the elaboration of a new constitution or electoral code,” he said.
At 34, Mr Rajoelina, a former disc jockey and successful businessman who spent almost two years as Antananarivo mayor, is Africa’s youngest president.
Mr Ravalomanana (59), who stepped down when the military swung behind Mr Rajoelina, has been in Swaziland ahead of a meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for a summit where Madagascar and Zimbabwe will top the agenda.
The Africa Union has suspended Madagascar and SADC leaders are considering sanctions on Mr Rajoelina’s fledgling administration when they meet on March 30th. South Africa said yesterday it would support sanctions against the new government at the summit. “We support the non-recognition [of Madagascar], we support pressure, including whatever might be agreed, sanctions . . .” said foreign minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. – (Reuters)