Washington DC — Supporters of Madagascar's self-proclaimed President, Marc Ravalomanana, set up barricades in central Antananarivo, Monday, blocking an attempt to take control of the National Assembly by soldiers loyal to the incumbent President, Didier Ratsiraka. Hundreds of Ravalomanana supporters marched to the site to confront the soldiers. They used rocks, garbage containers and even an old steam engine to block roads leading to the building. Auguste Paraina, Ravalomanana's nominee to become speaker of the Assembly, says he was among a group of Ravalomanana supporters who alerted the protesters.
Were there any clashes between the military and the civilians at the scene?
No, there were no clashes. When the military saw the civilians, they waited a little then turned back and left. The military governor had sent them to encircle the National Assembly building about 04:00h today in order to prevent the handover of power there. But members of the public were already at the scene so the soldiers weren't able to get into the building.
Did the soldiers leave because they were afraid, do you think?
You know, those soldiers were not convinced of their mission. They were armed but when they saw that the civilians were not, they decided to go back. They could have charged the civilians if they wanted to but they chose not to. That's why I say that they were not convinced of their mission. They turned up simply because that was the order they received from Antananarivo's military governor.
Yet it seems that past reports that the army had switched allegiance from incumbent President Ratsiraka to self-President Ravalomanana are not exactly true. It seems some parts of the army still pledge allegiance to Ratsiraka?
Yes, we have to recognise there is a division within the army. Most of the military commands are still in the hands of the old President.
And this division exists even in the capital, Antananarivo, also?
Especially in the capital. It is precisely because it exists in Antananarivo that it reflects on the other provinces.
The current Speaker of the National Assembly, Ange Andrianarifoa, is reported to have relinquished his post which you assumed in a provisional capacity. Reports also say that he has now changed his mind and wants to retrieve his post. Can you clarify that situation?
Yes, he has changed his mind under pressure from his political friends. I am here as Provisional Speaker to get the National Assembly working again, to receive the new government and to manage the Assembly until such time as an election in due form has taken place for a new President. We are almost at the end of the term and we have to remember that the Assembly could be dissolved if no party has a clear majority.
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Who exactly put pressure on him, do you think?
May be President Ratsiraka and friends from the AREMA party. But I think he was put under pressure because he had accepted to step down. He had a meeting with the deputies and later a one-on-one meeting with me for about thirty minutes on March 19. I asked him to take a holiday and stand again at the election. He agreed and we shook hands but two days later he went back on the agreement. In any case, that is no longer my problem. For the moment my powers are effective. As a speaker of the Assembly, you can't give away your powers and ask to have them back at will. That is not how it works. My powers are effective because the finances and the budget bear my signature already.
So what will happen to him, now that you no longer recognise his powers.
He is here as a deputy. I made commitments so that he can keep his privileges because we are talking about a provisional period. So he is still a deputy.
