THE governor of a fourth Madagascan province has announced his territory’s independence in protest over the proclamation of Marc Ravalomanana as president, officials said on Friday.
Governor Etienne-Hilaire Razafindehibe declared the province of Mahajanga independent late on Thursday, following declarations of independence earlier this week by the governors of Antsiranana, Toamasina and Toliara.
The announced secessions came in reaction to a constitutional court ruling on Monday that Ravalomanana had won more than 51% of ballots cast in December’s presidential vote against 35% for long-time ruler Didier Ratsiraka.
All the breakaway provinces are led by Ratsiraka loyalists. It is unclear if they have military or even popular backing for their secessionist moves.
Witnesses said that some 300 people attended the ceremony declaring Mahajanga’s “independence”, in the provincial capital by the same name.
Razafindehibe declared the province independent “within the framework of a confederation of independent states of Madagascar,” according to a communiqué sent to AFP on Friday by the regional council.
Mahajanga becomes the fourth of six Madagascan provinces to break away from the island state, in protest over the proclamation of Ravalomanana as president.
The wealthy northern province of Antsiranana announced it was breaking away on Tuesday, and Toamasina, which houses Madagascar’s key port by the same name, followed suit one day later.
On Thursday, the governor of Toliara province, in the south, officially proclaimed his territory independent.
The governors of two of the provinces have said they would rescind their move if Ravalomanana was not sworn in to office at week’s end as originally planned.
The two densely populated central provinces of Fianarantsoa and Antananarivo, which houses Madagascar’s economic hub, are controlled by Ravalomanana loyalists. – AFP