Afran : Madagascar postpones government formation
on 2009/11/24 11:34:36
Afran

ANTANANARIVO, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- The appointment of Madagascan national unity government was postponed indefinitely despite the schedule released on Saturday.

The four Madagascan political camps, respectively led by current president Andry Rajoelina, and former presidents Marc Ravalomanana, Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy, could not reach agreement to appoint ministers of justice, basic education, mines and hydrocarbons.

The disagreement is notable between Rajoelina and Ravalomanana’s camps.

“We ask your blessing because we have to talk outside because of the absence of both country leaders, (including Ravalomanana and Ratsiraka),” co-president Fetison Rakoto Andrianirina from Ravalomanana's camp told the people of Miarinarivo, a city about 130 km west of the capital city, during his provincial tour on Saturday.

Quoted by L'Express, a French-language daily published on Monday, Andrianirina said the meeting between the four protagonists should take place this week.

But in the daily paper, the African Union special envoy, Ablasse Ouedraogo, proposed a video conference between the big four, saying that the meeting outside the country is not necessary.

Ouedraogo stressed “the need to solve this problem between Madagascans themselves,” saying a logistical and financial weaknesses of a meeting outside the country.

Special envoys of the International Contact Group would arrive in the country this week to inspect the problem of forming a national unity government, Ouedraogo said.

Rajoelina declared that “he will think about it” when he inaugurated on Saturday a road in Ambanja, 1,000 km northwest of Antananarivo.

“If the government could not be established, let the current ministers to continue their work because they are competent and do their duty,” said the president of the transition.

However, a transitional co-president Emmanuel Rakotovahiny, who is from Zafy’s movement, described Rajoelina’s purpose as illegal and against the agreements signed between Rajoelina, Ravalomanana, Ratsiraka and Zafy in Maputo on Aug. 6 and in Addis Ababa three months later.

The agreement in Addis Ababa stipulates that the transition, which should not last more than 15 months from August, is led by a president, Andry Rajoelina, and two co-presidents including Andrianirina and Rakotovahiny, while the government of national unity composed of 31 members is led by Prime Minister Eugene Mangalaza.

The International Contact Group on Madagascar is very concerned about the situation in Madagascar, fearing the protagonists may fight each others, blocking the formation of a new government, according to a statement published in the island country on Sunday.

Any delay of a new government affects the development of other important institutions of the transition, including the elections, national reconciliation and the resumption of cooperation with Madagascar’s international partners, said the statement signed by Rodney D. Ford, public affairs officer in the United States to Madagascar.

Previous article - Next article Printer Friendly Page Send this Story to a Friend Create a PDF from the article


Other articles
2023/7/22 15:36:35 - Uncertainty looms as negotiations on the US-Kenya trade agreement proceeds without a timetable
2023/7/22 13:48:23 - 40 More Countries Want to Join BRICS, Says South Africa
2023/7/18 13:25:04 - South Africa’s Putin problem just got a lot more messy
2023/7/18 13:17:58 - Too Much Noise Over Russia’s Influence In Africa – OpEd
2023/7/18 11:15:08 - Lagos now most expensive state in Nigeria
2023/7/18 10:43:40 - Nigeria Customs Intercepts Arms, Ammunition From US
2023/7/17 16:07:56 - Minister Eli Cohen: Nairobi visit has regional and strategic importance
2023/7/17 16:01:56 - Ruto Outlines Roadmap for Africa to Rival First World Countries
2023/7/17 15:47:30 - African heads of state arrive in Kenya for key meeting
2023/7/12 15:51:54 - Kenya, Iran sign five MoUs as Ruto rolls out red carpet for Raisi
2023/7/12 15:46:35 - Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Gupta Travels to Kenya and Rwanda
2023/7/2 14:57:52 - We Will Protect Water Catchments
2023/7/2 14:53:49 - Kenya records slight improvement in global peace ranking
2023/7/2 13:33:37 - South Sudan, South Africa forge joint efforts for peace in Sudan
2023/7/2 12:08:02 - Tinubu Ready To Assume Leadership Role In Africa
2023/7/2 10:50:34 - CDP ranks Nigeria, others low in zero-emission race
2023/6/19 15:30:00 - South Africa's Ramaphosa tells Putin Ukraine war must end
2023/6/17 15:30:20 - World Bank approves Sh45bn for Kenya Urban Programme
2023/6/17 15:25:47 - Sudan's military govt rejects Kenyan President Ruto as chief peace negotiatorThe Sudanese military government of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has rejected Kenyan President William Ruto's leadership of the "Troika on Sudan."
2023/6/17 15:21:15 - Kenya Sells Record 2.2m Tonnes of Carbon Credits to Saudi Firms

The comments are owned by the author. We aren't responsible for their content.