Johannesburg — The government of Madagascar has imposed a state of emergency on the Indian Ocean island, hours after opposition leader Marc Ravalomanana proclaimed himself president on Friday.
Observers say the carnival atmosphere among tens of thousands of Ravalomananas supporters after the 'inauguration was swiftly snuffed out by the announcement by Prime Minister Tantely Andrianarivo.
"A state of national necessity has been proclaimed across the entire territory for a period of three months." Andrianarivo said, adding that "if circumstances so demand, the period could be extended."
The action by the authorities in the capital, Antananarivo, gives them wide-ranging new emergency powers, including security. President Didier Ratsiraka, who Ravalomanana accuses of stealing the December presidential election, can now effectively rule by decree in Madagascar.
The police have been given sweeping powers of arrest and demonstrations have been banned. Anyone can be interrogated for disturbing public order. The security services can be ordered by the president to search the homes of people whose activities are considered dangerous or likely to jeopardise national security. Under the new emergency laws, the Malagasy government is also authorised to requisition public services and control the media, as well as monitor the telephone and postal services.
Ravalomanana, the millionaire mayor of Antananarivo who earlier told thousands of his followers that he was now their leader, has not responded to the governments latest move.
But questions remain about how the government will be able to enforce its state of emergency and what action, if any, the army might take in this constitutional crisis. On Thursday, the defence minister said the military would remain neutral in the political stand-off that has plagued Madagascar since the disputed December presidential poll.
Observers note that Ravalomanana appears to have popular support in the capital, his stronghold, but may find it difficult to translate this advantage into constitutional legitimacy and elected office. President Ratsiraka has the constitution on his side. But it is unclear which party holds the balance of power.
Ravalomanana, a self-made millionaire businessman, has been behaving like a de facto president since he contested the results of the election, saying that he had beaten Ratsiraka outright.
But although the courts in Madagascar agreed that he was ahead in the first round, they ruled that he had not won the majority needed to avoid a second round.
Observers are concerned that what has so far been a largely peaceful pattern of opposition protests in Antananarivo and other parts of Madagascar over recent weeks, could degenerate into violence.
The Organisation of African Unity (OAU) tried to broker an end to the impasse and appeared to have succeeded on Tuesday, when it was announced that a delayed second round run-off election between Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana would be held on 24 March.
The Antananarivo mayor initially acquiesced but later changed his mind, announcing to his followers on Wednesday that he would declare himself president on Friday. He has accused the Malagasy government of failing the people and rigging the election.
The self-declared head-of-state told the reporters, after he solemnly took the oath of office on Friday, that he hoped the international community would recognise his administration "very soon".
Before the announcement of a state of emergency, the office of the United Nations secretary-general criticised Ravalomananas move to seize power unilaterally. The OAU had earlier warned him against the move, saying such action would be illegal and against the rule of law and could see Ravalomanana internationally ostracised. After the 'swearing-in, the OAU "strongly condemned" what Ravalomanana had done.
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France, the former colonial power, also denounced Ravalomananas action. A foreign ministry spokesman in Paris said "this attempt to take power by force in violation of the constitutional rules of the country, and of the principles of the UN and of the OAU, cannot resolve the present political crisis."
The spokesman for the American State Department, Richard Boucher, is quoted as saying "The United States objects to the action taken by opposition presidential candidate, Marc Ravalomanana, to declare himself president." Boucher urged "Mr Ravalomanana and all parties to consider carefully the repercussions that extra-legal, or violent, actions could have on Madagascars future and its relationship with the international community."
