Even after voting in favour of a new constitution paving way for the country’s fourth republic, Madagascar is still struggling for recognition by international community.
That international community has continued to ignore the newborn republic was made abundantly clear by the absence of foreign guests during the Saturday inauguration. Not even congratulatory messages were sent to the country’s High Authority of Transition (HAT), led by President Andry Rajoelina.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) emissaries heading the peace negotiations led by Dr Leonardo Simao, arrived in Antananarivo on Sunday (a day after inauguration of the fourth republic) and avoided to comment on the island’s new political development.
The SADC officials are actually in Antananarivo to commission an international mediation local liaison office following their previous visit in November.
Political crisis
On Monday, the SADC delegates met with diplomats and other relevant parties in Andraharo, UN headquarters in Madagascar, and their discussions focused on the possibility of resuming the negotiations between the rival politicians.
The international community has placed the responsibility of convincing the warring parties to return to the negotiation table upon a local NGO called CNOSC.
National reconciliation and the amnesty of the deposed president Marc Ravalomanana currently seem to be the cause of discomfort within the political quarters.
The former president of the International Penal Tribunal for Rwanda (TPI-R), Mr Honoré Rakotomanana, holds that political calmness would only be achieved if reconciliation was also underway.
He called for the creation of the National Reconciliation Committee and the High Council of Justice to accompany the initiative.
Political prisoners
The peace agreement, aimed at ending the country’s political crisis signed last year, was rejected by the HAT.
Immediate release of political detainees and power sharing were among the conditions stipulated in the document. However, President Rajoelina scrapped the power sharing deal.
Arrests and intimidation of the opposition have also continued with the number of political prisoners shooting up.
Last Friday, 16 judges firmly rejected demands for release of Fetison Rakoto Andrianirina and other two key opposition figures.
Despite the global isolation, the de facto government tried to enchant the masses by organising countrywide celebrations.
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