SADC to Meet Over Madagascar Political Crisis
By Peter Clottey
19 June 2009
Ministers of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will hold an emergency meeting Friday to discuss the ongoing political crisis in Madagascar. The conference comes a day ahead of the heads of state summit Saturday in Johannesburg, South Africa to help restore constitutional order.
SADC suspended Madagascar after describing former opposition leader Andry Rajoelina's ascension to power in March as a coup d'état.
Andry Rajoelina addresses supporters at a rally in Antananarivo on 02 Feb 2009
Madagascar's embattled President Andry Rajoelina.
"The meeting is essentially to avert what looks like a potential crisis," said Professor Okey Onyejekwe, Director of Governance at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
He said the regional body will try to prevent a potential chaos in Madagascar now that other diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis have not succeeded.
"Attempts that were made to now bring the two ex-presidents and the current president to resolve the terms of engagement for the next elections have failed," he said.
"The decision from what I know will basically affirm their commitment both at regional level and also at the continental level not to recognize unlawful ascension to power," Onyejekwe said.
He said leaders in the SADC region are not recognizing the new Malagasy leader.
"Other presidents have refused to accept him (Rajoelina) and legitimize him, (and) Madagascar has been suspended from the AU (African Union)…the current president himself needs to change the constitution given the fact that he has an age threshold which he doesn't meet," he said.
Meanwhile, former President Marc Ravalomanana who is exiled in South Africa is expected to be at the SADC meeting this weekend.
Onyejekwe said Ravalomanana seems to be enjoying some backing from the sub-regional body.
"I can understand why the former president feels buoyant because he has the solid support of SADC as well as most members of the AU," Onyejekwe said.
He said despite the apparent continental support, former President Ravalomanana doesn't have enough influence inside Madagascar.
"It does not matter in my judgment that he (Ravalomanana) gets the support of his cohorts who are in other countries, but he does not have support at home," he said.
Ex-President Ravalomanana, who was forced to resign, maintains that he is still the legitimate leader of Madagascar.
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