SADC calls for negotiations

2009-06-22 14:42

Antananarivo - Madagascar’s military-backed regime has reacted coolly to a call from its neighbours to negotiate a solution to the Indian Ocean Island’s political crisis.

At a weekend summit, the Southern African Development Community appointed the respected former Mozambican president, Joaquim Chissano, to try to push forward stalled negotiations between ousted President Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina, whose March takeover has been widely denounced as a coup.

Earlier this month, Rajoelina withdrew from the talks mediated by the Southern African Development Community, the United Nations, the African Union and an international union of French-speaking countries, angry that one of the agenda items was Ravalomanana's possible return. Ravalomanana went to South Africa after he was toppled.

"Dialogue is not a problem," Monja Roindefo, the man Rajoelina calls his prime minister, said on Sunday.   "The problem is when, under the pretext of international mediation, you force one party to accept the unacceptable."

Roindefo did not explicitly rule out further talks. No date has been set for resuming negotiations.

New constitutional order

Chissano and South African President Jacob Zuma, the current chair of the Southern African Development Community, were to meet this week to work out logistics, including a venue outside Madagascar.

Rajoelina has threatened to arrest Ravalomanana on corruption charges if he returns. Ravalomanana rejects the corruption allegations.

"Whether the negotiations are between heads of state or their deputies is of little importance," Roindefo said. "What is most important is to see whether the talks reflect the change the people want, whether it reflects the democratic advances toward a new constitutional order."

In a statement released on Sunday, Ravalomanana welcomed "Southern African Development Community's decision to intensify and expedite its efforts to restore constitutional order and democratic rule in Madagascar".

He said he would work with Chissano "to hasten the return of law, human rights, and democratic rule in the Madagascar".

- AP