Mozambique to hold new Madagascar talks

Madagascar’s political rivals were expected to arrive on Monday in Mozambique’s capital Maputo where they will share out key posts in an interim government meant to pave the way for fresh polls.

This second phase of talks will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday under international mediation led by Mozambican former president Joachim Chissano.

The rival politicians are supposed to decide who will become the transitional president, the vice president and the prime minister, according to the United Nations mediator for Madagascar, Tiebile Drame.

Andry Rajoelina, who toppled Marc Ravalomanana from power in March, along with former heads of state Albert Zafy and Didier Ratsiraka agreed earlier this month to form a transitional government to lead the country to elections by the end of next year.

But the leaders, representing the Indian Ocean island’s main political movements, did not agree on who would fill the top jobs in the interim authority.

The accord is meant to pull Madagascar out of months of crisis following the army-backed rise of Rajoelina and bloody riots in March that left 100 dead and forced Ravalomanana to flee the country.—AFP