Madagascar: Ravalomanana Refuses to Share Power

22 April 2009

Cape Town — The deposed president of Madagascar, Marc Ravalomanana, has visited two Southern African capitals in his bid to be restored to power.

He said in a statement issued on Wednesday that he had visited President Ian Khama of Botswana and President Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa in Gaborone and Pretoria respectively on Tuesday. Ravalomanana announced last week that he planned to return home soon, and promised this week to form an “inclusive government.”

But in his Wednesday statement, he rejected power-sharing with Andry Rajoelina, the leader who ousted him and formed a High Transition Authority.

“They broke the law and carried out a coup d’état that was condemned by the entire international community,” Ravalomanana said.

The courts would have to rule on the legality of Rajoelina's actions, he added. “That is not my job but I will support the decision of an independent judiciary once the rule of law is restored.”

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