spotlight madagascar

From Al Jazeera English:

News Africa

Madagascar rivals strike deal

Rajoelina seized power after protests against the president left more than 100 people dead [AFP] Madagascar’s main political factions have signed a deal to set up a transitional government in an attempt to end months of instability following a coup on the Indian Ocean island. Tiebile Drame, the UN mediator, said on Sunday that the two sides had “agreed that the transition will last no longer 15 months from the signature of the accord”. During that period legislative and presidential elections will be held under international supervision “which will lead to the re-establishment of stable democratic institutions in Madagascar,” he said. …

The composition of the transition government – which is set to include a president, vice-president, prime minister and three deputy prime minister – is still to be decided.

“They will reflect on it and make a decision later,” Joaquim Chissano, the former Mozambican leader who led the talks, said.

Ravalomanana is vowing that he will return home, to Madagascar.  Maybe we’ll get there around the same time.  What if we sit next to each other on the plane?  That would make an interesting story.  Here it is, from Al Jazeera English:

Madagascar leader ‘will go home’

In other news, Andry Rajoelina announced 2 days ago that he wouldn’t run in the coming elections, providing that the other former heads of state stood down as well.  AFP reports,

“I am not thirsty for power, I do not want to cling to power. I just want to bring democracy to Madagascar,” Rajoelina said Wednesday.

BARRY BEARAK has written a very thoughtful piece on the Madagascar crisis for the New York Times:

Playing to the poor — something that both the president and the mayor excel at — usually goes over well in a country where most people get by on less than $1 a day. But the Malagasy have now lived under colonialism, socialism and democracy, with the masses remaining destitute.

“Politicians always use the poor people to get into power, and then they forget us,” said a woman who called in to Radio Mada, a station broadcasting from the capital. “I don’t believe them any more.”

The International Herald Tribune features a Malagasy columnist, Alain Iloniaina, this afternoon:

“We are here to request a return to democracy and better human rights,” said Tila Ralvaralarivo, waving a small orange flag, the colour that has come to symbolise the opposition movement.

And finally for now, from Al Jazeera English