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Cape Town — As military leaders anointed opposition leader Andry Rajoelina as Madagascar’s new leader, African governments condemned the ousting of President Marc Ravalomanana as the product of unconstitutional action against a democratically-elected head of state.
Ravalomanana resigned on Tuesday, appointing a military directorate to rule the country pending the holding of a national dialogue on the way forward. But military leaders, under pressure from pro-Rajoelina rebels in their ranks, ceded power to the former mayor of Antananarivo.
The manner in which power was transferred was condemned by South African President Kgalema Motlanthe – who is also chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), by the Nigerian foreign minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe and by the African Union’s Peace and Security Council.
“South Africa and SADC will never countenance the unconstitutional transfer of power from a democratically elected government in any of our member-states,” said President Motlanthe.
Maduekwe said Rajoelina’s actions were "a threat to African security." Aspirants to power, he added, should use democratic means: “You want power, you go to the polls, present your manifesto and then get elected. And keep to the original constitution," he said.
The African Union body issued a demand “that the Malagasy parties comply scrupulously with the provisions of the Constitution of Madagascar on interim arrangements in the event of resignation.”
It urged the parties “to uphold the spirit of dialogue and compromise in order to find, as soon as possible, a peaceful and consensual solution to the crisis…” Motlanthe also called for talks aimed at finding a solution “which is constitutional and will restore peace and stability on the island...”
Madagascar is scheduled to host the AU heads of state and government summit later this year, but now stands to lose the right to host the me
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SHAME, SHAME, DISGRACE AND TOTAL BACKWARDNESS!!!!! I wonder what Africa is up to when it is still holding to the guns for the sole motive of putting people in power whose mandate does not come from the masses, irrespective of the worsening situation the people live in. Africa will ever live in poverty and dictatorship as long as the military remains politicised, corrupt and only answerable to the powers that be. Containers of condemnations from all angles of mother Africa will have no rooms at the political harbour of Madagascar as they may just be laughed at and seen as the same old cries of despots and undemocrtic leaders telling the West that they are concerned and as clean as snow when their own backyards are stinky-smelling from all odours of mismanagement, corruption, incompetency and foul games. Africa needs a neo- revolutionary period, far distanced from violence or militocracy, that will put bread on the tables of the suffering poor.People like Mugabe, Ghaddafi, Yayah Jammeh and the like must make way for a better continent that needs to compete with the West on a clean-faced socio-economic terms not based on their rotten military backgrounds. It is really shameful that Africans are ever rich in "VIOLENCE-DNAS" since times undated. The time is ripe for the children of Arica to say "NO,NO,NO. IT'S ENOUGH!!!" to the system that has never put them forward. What a shame mother AFRICA!!!!!
The unlawful transfer of power from a democratically elected head of state can never be condoned at all. Not at a time when the continent is at a stage where democracy is taking root. The international community should not recognize the new leaders, and should actually sunction them from all multilaterals. Whose mandate does Rajoelina carry? This is a disgrace indeed!!
VOX POPULI EST VOX DEI ! The poeple have spoken! AFRICA NEEDS NOW ACTIVE CITIZENS. How democracy are countries that make up AU. The majority of Malagascans have spoken, and gave support to Andry.
We, Africans need such a Popular Revolution. we need to be active cotizen.Is there any election that is free and fair apart from Tanzania ,Ghana and Botswana. Two years ago Nigeria through Obasanjo through unfair election brought shame to Africa.
WE NEED MANY THE LIKE OF ANDRY and MALAGASCAN ARMY and POLICE TODAY IN AFRICA. They are brave; they have shown great professionalism in their work.
VOX POPULI EST VOX DEI ! The poeple have spoken! AFRICA NEEDS NOW ACTIVE CITIZENS. How democratic are countries that make up AU. The majority of Malagascans have spoken, and gave support to Andry. We Africans need such a Popular Revolution. we need to be active citizens. Is there any election that is free and fair apart from Tanzania ,Ghana and Botswana. Two years ago Nigeria through unfair election Obasanjo brought shame to Africa. WE NEED MANY THE LIKE OF ANDRY and MALAGASCAN ARMY and POLICE TODAY IN AFRICA. They are brave; they have shown great professionalism in their work.
The outgong tyrant president was known as the "20% President". He was twisting arms of all significant potential investors to give him freely a 20% stake in their proposed ventures! Worse than tyrant Mugabe in the sense that the latter allowed his cronies also to loot.
SADC and the AU are out of touch with the misery of citizens in many African countries. It's not an election alone that brings in "democracy and respect of the rule of law"!
What can we expect from the AU when buffoon Quadaffi is in the chair?
Zimbos should get inspiration from the Malagasy experience and put an immediate end to the banana republic bloodstained rule of illegitimate Mugabe!
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