20120725
AFP
Madagascar's deposed ex-president Marc Ravalomanana and current leader and rival Andry Rajoelina met briefly on the Seychelles, government sources said Tuesday, on the eve of landmark talks.

Government sources said that Ravalomanana, who arrived in the Seychelles on Tuesday, one day after Rajoelina, shook hands with his rival on a remote island, before their respective delegations began preliminary meetings.

The two sides are meeting on Desroches, a private island 230 kilometres (140 miles) away from the main island, Mahe. Full face-to-face talks are expected to begin Wednesday.

The 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) is mediating in the talks, has set a July 31 deadline for the two rivals to settle their differences so that a timetable for elections in Madagascar can be unveiled next week.

The Indian Ocean island of Madagascar has been mired in political crisis since Rajoelina ousted Ravalomanana in March 2009 with the army's support.

Rajoelina, a former disc jockey who was only 34 when he seized power and who had to change the constitution to become eligible for the top job in future polls, has failed to garner broad international backing.

Rajoelina and Ravalomanana last year signed a "roadmap" toward elections, but the deal has yet to be fully implemented.