Maputo — The second day of dialogue in Maputo between the leaders of the four main political factions in Madagascar was devoted mainly to fixing the agenda for the meeting, Tomaz Salomao, Executive Secretary of SADC (Southern African Development Community), told reporters on Thursday.

The negotiations involve the democratically elected President of Madagascar, Marc Ravalomanana, the man who overthrew him, Andry Rajoelina, and two previous heads of state, Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy.

Rajoelina's slow motion coup d'etat began in January and, with the support of part of the army, he seized power on 17 March. The coup has resulted in the suspension of Madagascar from SADC and from the African Union, and a halt to most foreign aid.

After the formal opening session on Wednesday, the talks have been held behind closed doors. They are being mediated by a team from SADC, the African Union, the UN and the International Francophone Organisation, led by former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano.

Chissano was optimistic about the talks. He told AIM "Everything's going well, and so I think the outcome will be positive". But he declined to reveal any details of the discussions.

Salomao shared this optimism, and commented that there was now less tension at the negotiating room than had been the case on Wednesday. He noted that this was the first time since 17 March that Rajoelina and Ravalomanana had sat at the same table. "Yesterday they weren't smiling, but today they are", he remarked.

But like Chissano, he would reveal no substantive details about what was under discussion - not even whether the four men had reached consensus about the agenda.

Madagascans had already been talking in Madagascar about how to solve the crisis, Salomao added, but it was decided that no definitive solution could be reached without direct dialogue between the four leaders. Hence the meeting in Maputo.

"I think it's positive to have brought them to the negotiating table within just four months, which is a short space of time", he said.

There were "pending issues" that the leaders needed to solve, said Salomao. One was the status of Ratsiraka. After losing the 2001 presidential election to Ravalomanana, and the brief civil war that followed, Ratsoraka fled to France, where he has been living for the past eight years. He was tried in absentia on corruption charges and sentenced to ten years hard labour.

But clearly, if Ratsiraka is to be amnestied, then should not the same apply to Ravalomana? After Rajoelina seized power, a docile court sentenced Ravalomanana to four years imprisonment for alleged abuse of power.

"They're sitting in Maputo to agree about all these things", replied Salomao.

The Madagascan leaders themselves were guarded in their comments to the press. Ratsiraka told AIM he was satisfied at the direction the negotiations were taking, but gave no details.

Ravalomanana said "it's still very early to talk about the negotiations". Rajoelina did not speak to the press.