Madagascar
Two presidents in Madagascar, again

afrol News, 6 May - Marc Ravalomanana was sworn in today, for the second time in a few months. This time, however, the High Constitutional Court of Madagascar (HCC) arranged the ceremony, basing itself on its recount of the 16 December poll results. His rival, Didier Ratsiraka, still claims he is President and rejects the validity of the HCC's recount.

- Long live President Marc Ravalomanana, shouted the exited crowd of an estimated 100,000 people, observing Ravalomanana making his oath of office. The winner of the December poll swore his loyalty to the Constitution, Malagasy laws and the population. The President of the HCC than placed the presidential sash over his shoulders. Madagascar again has two rival presidents. 

A significant detail in the ceremony was the presence of several Western diplomats, according to a BBC report. Didier Ratsiraka is still recognised by the outside world holding the Malagasy presidential office, but there are speculations that Western nations plan to recognise the HCC's poll recount and thereby Ravalomanana's presidency. The French government is thought to be making the first step.

In Madagascar, however, Ravalomanana is far from accepted throughout the country. While it seems that a majority of the voters had placed their confidence in him (51.46 percent, according to the HCC), the political elite outside the capital, Antananarivo, firmly stands on the side of Ratsiraka. Four of the island's six province governors are preparing the secessionist formation of a "confederation of the independent states" of Madagascar, already dubbed "Ratsirakaland". A fifth province is assumed to follow, thus totally isolating land-locked Antananarivo Province, which is Ravalomanana's heartland. 

Hopes were up the sliding into a civil war would be avoided two weeks ago with the signing of the Dakar Agreement between Ravalomanana and Ratsiraka. While Ravalomanana complied with the deal and stepped down from his self-proclaimed presidency, Ratsiraka and his five loyal governors did not lift the roadblocks strangling Antananarivo and they refused to recognise the HCC's recount. The secessionist move by the governors is concerning observers, who believe Madagascar again may be at the edge of civil war. 

African diplomats are however working on high gear to resolve the Malagasy crisis. A ministerial delegation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) had talks with the rival presidents this weekend, together with a group of African peace facilitators led by Senegalese Foreign Affairs and African Integration Minister, Cheikh Tidiane Gadio. The two delegations left Madagascar on Saturday without concrete results.

Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, who also was the leading promoter of the Dakar Agreement, today announced Ravalomanana and Ratsiraka were invited to a second Dakar summit on 13-14 May. Ravalomanana has not rejected to attend the summit, but told the French news agency AFP today he was "not well-informed" about it. His diplomatic adviser, Mamy Andriamasomanana, confirmed this and stated that it would be discussed, but that Ravalomanana would not go "if he is not invited as the President of the Republic." Ravalomanana keeps pushing for international recognition.

President Wade has invested much political prestige in finding an African-brokered solution to the Madagascar conflict, together with his homologues of Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon and Mozambique. African leaders however so far have been observed as biased towards Ratsiraka.

Meanwhile, the Malagasy economy is in its ruins following four months of political turmoil and interruption of the country's infrastructure. The export manufacturing industry of Antananarivo is basically shut down due to lack of access to fuel and raw material and because the roads to export harbours are blocked by Ratsiraka's followers. 

Also the social welfare of the isolated central areas of Madagascar is heavily threatened. According to sources close to Ravalomanana, more than 7,500 children younger than 5 years and at least 400 women already have died "because of the roadblocks." Shortages, lack of medicine, health care and food and vaccination campaigns made impossible due to lack of fuel is taking its toll among the weakest, especially outside the capital.

Sources: Based on Tiako i Madagasikara, press reports and afrol archives 

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