African Union (Addis Ababa)
23 May 2009
document
The multilateral negotiations seeking to establish a neutral, peaceful and consensual transition in Madagascar resumed on Wednesday 20 May 2009 under the auspices of international mediators from the African Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) and the United Nations (UN).
All political forces of Madagascar are represented at the negotiating table. They are gathered around four enlarged political groups: the Rajoelina group, the Ratsiraka group, the Ravalomanana group and the Zafy group.
Negotiations are ongoing in view of securing the endorsement of all groups for a Charter of the Transition, which will provide a framework for the consensual management of the transition leading to free, fair and transparent elections as soon as possible.
To date, the negotiations have succeeded in reaching agreement on a number of points.
First, all parties have agreed on the following principles:
• The need for a neutral, peaceful and consensual transition.
• The participation of former Heads of State and the Head of State of the Transition in the next presidential election. After a long debate, the Malagasy parties decided to respect the right of former Heads of State and the Head of State of the Transition to run in the election.
• The elections will take place at the earliest possible date within a period of 14 months based on an assessment by international and national experts of Madagascar’s capacity to organize credible elections.
• A special statute ensuring the dignity and guaranteeing the security of former Heads of State will be drafted. A Council of Wise Men regrouping all former Heads of State will also be established.
Second, parties reached agreement on the establishment of all transitional institutions. These are:
• The High Transitional Authority
• The Transitional Government of National Unity
• The Transitional Congress
• The National Reconciliation Council and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, mandated to review recent Malagasy history, promote national reconciliation and assess issues of reparations and compensations.
• The Economic and Social Council of the Transition
• The High Court of the Transition
• The Reflection Committee on National Defense and Security
• The Independent Electoral Commission
The ongoing discussions are focused on the composition and formula for the proportional distribution of seats among executive and legislative institutions.
A general amnesty, excluding gross violations of human rights, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of genocide, is also under discussion for infractions linked to the events of a period yet to be specified.
The international mediators call on all parties to make the concessions necessary to reach agreement on all remaining questions and conclude the negotiations in order to establish a concerted transition.
Antananarivo, 22 May 2009.
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Why they can't be like Jakaya Kikwete? This is terrible when a person takes power without official election, Please AU should check his capabilities befor he rules the country. Is he educated? I don't think so, please help Madagascar people before they kill each other. They even cant run from that Island to find refuge nearby.
I think the ousted Pdt should behave also and follow the warning by the South Africa, But if he want to kill more people by his carelessness and by showing that he doesn't care as usually he did when he was on power (amending constitution without people's agreement), then this really shows how power hungry he is! I do not agree the idea that Rakoto Albert said about communism in Madagascar. It is simple many loosing parties in Madagascar know how to keep silence after being literally vomited by the population, but this time the TIM and MFM could not contained it and they try to create terrorizing situation or genocide similar to Rwanda or far more Somali but people have understood from the beginning and very conscious. I believe that taking Ravalomanana and his allies away from the political life in Madagascar can do more good than bad for the future of the Island if they keep on to their way of inciting troubles in the capital and its suburbs. Also the international communities have to understand that to face the international crises and the local instability, the democratization lead by the HAT should be assisted with full precaution to avoid chaos. As it has been clear that the HAT is committed with 19 months plan to return the democratic regime. It is also understood why most counties in Africa hate the situation that happened in Madagascar, but they will be far more in trouble if they try to reinstall the former and resigned president because (only few groups of people were enjoying the life while he himself gets more and more authoritarian and 80% of the population gone down under the poverty line) they support a dictator leader such as Mugabe or more who are still holding power in Africa. So in that case they become so interesting to think about the bunch of leadership in Africa that could not help to get rid of the poverty!!! Above all, the ignorance also affect deeply the local community in Madagascar because of these politics of partisanship which can lead to deep and difficult trouble.
Meloky, when have you been the last time in Madagascar to bring so theorical critics like this ? No comment is needed. Just come and visit Madagascar by your own eyes to see what progress have been achieved during the past seven year: roads, conservation, schools, hospitals, new investment including the big ones like Tinto Rinto, QMM and so on. I am operating in the tourism business and we have doubled our turnover during the past three years. That's all to say about it. Thanks.
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