Rivals wrangle over posts
2009-08-27 09:28
Maputo - Madagascar's power-brokers agreed to extend their negotiations in the Mozambican capital into a third day on Thursday as they struggle to agree on who will lead a new transitional government.
Madagascar fell into crisis in March when Andry Rajoelina, former mayor of the capital Antananarivo, overthrew president Marc Ravalomanana with military backing following weeks of violent street protests.
The rival leaders, together with ex-presidents Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy, began meeting on Tuesday in Maputo for what was originally scheduled to be a two-day mediation.
The four leaders, who represent the Indian Ocean island's main political movements, reached a deal on August 9 during an earlier round of talks to establish a transitional government and hold democratic elections by the end of 2010.
But the negotiations have stalled over the leadership of the new interim authority, mediators said.
Reaching a consensus
"More than 70% of the responsibilities have been distributed by consensus. Just three important posts are left" - president, prime minister and vice-president, said United Nations mediator Tiebile Drame.
"We were close to reaching a consensus" on naming current leader Rajoelina as interim president, chief mediator Joaquim Chissano said as talks broke in the early hours of Thursday.
"But that consensus was lost when we started to talk about the prime minister," he added.
Rajoelina, who declared in a mid-August interview that only he could lead the transition, had not backed down from that position on Thursday.
"We're a little blocked because we find it logical that our movement ... lead the transition," Rajoelina said, adding that his delegation wanted the posts of both president and prime minister.
Ravalomanana, who has been in exile in South Africa since his overthrow, has pledged not to seek a direct role in the transition.
Presidency of the transition
But his delegation issued a statement on Wednesday saying "the presidency of the transition must be given to the Marc Ravalomanana movement".
The statement said Ravalomanana was willing to negotiate the top posts with Ratsiraka and Zafy but that "the author of an unconstitutional change and democratically elected heads of state must not be put on an equal footing".
The four leaders met individually on Wednesday morning with members of the mediation team, which is led by Chissano, a former president of Mozambique.
They resumed face-to-face talks on Wednesday afternoon following a break to meet with Mozambique's current President Armando Guebuza.
Under the August 9 agreement, the four leaders must name an interim government within 30 days.
No member of the transitional government except its president will be eligible to run in the 2010 presidential election.