Madagascar’s ousted leader, claiming he’s still president, told reporters in South Africa on Monday he was counting on his neighbours to help him return to his island nation within weeks.
Marc Ravalomanana also said he would be willing to share power with the rival who forced him out, but only if Andry Rajoelina was ”committed to follow the rule of law”.
Rajoelina took power in March with the military’s backing after months of street protests. African and Western nations have called the takeover a coup. The African Union suspended Madagascar’s membership, and the US cut all non-humanitarian aid.
Hours before the military’s March 17 announcement that it was making Rajoelina president, Ravalomanana said he was stepping aside in favour of a military directorate. On Monday Ravalomanana said the military was split and he issued the statement because a small group of junior soldiers threatened him.
Some in Madagascar have questioned that claim, in part because a delegation of foreign diplomats who visited him on March 17 saw no sign of soldiers at the presidential palace. Ravalomanana said on Monday his confrontation with soldiers was in a different part of the complex.
‘I am still the president’
”I didn’t resign as president of Madagascar,” he said. ”I was forced to hand [over] power at gun point … I am still the president of Madagascar.”
Ravalomanana said a Southern African Development Community team heading to Madagascar this week would try to persuade Rajoelina to give up power.
The regional group — which has suspended Madagascar and threatened sanctions if Ravalomanana is not restored — ”leads this process to help me return to Madagascar”, Ravalomanana said.
”In a few weeks, a few months, I will be back in Madagascar.”
Ravalomanana said he wanted a peaceful resolution to the power struggle, and for that reason was willing to make concessions, including holding either early elections or a referendum to allow citizens to say whether they want him to complete a term scheduled to end next year.
”The only way out of this crisis is … elections,” he said.
Ravalomanana said he would consider a unity government similar to the coalition the Southern African Development Community pressured Zimbabwean politicians to embrace after months of political violence. In Zimbabwe, long-time President Robert Mugabe is now governing with his rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, as prime minister.
It was clear on Monday that Ravalomanana would accept Rajoelina as a partner only reluctantly. He repeatedly accused Rajoelina and his supporters of having hijacked the constitution.
Last week, Rajoelina issued an arrest warrant for Ravalomanana, accusing him of misusing government funds. Ravalomanana denied such charges on Monday. Madagascar, one of the poorest nations in Africa, depends heavily on foreign funding, and Ravalomanana said donors kept a careful eye on his spending.
Ravalomanana said he did not fear arrest upon his return because he expected to go back under the auspices of regional leaders.
Support for Ravalomanana began to waver in February after security forces opened fire and killed at least 25 anti-government demonstrators.
Infighting has long been a hallmark of politics in Madagascar.
In 2001, Ravalomanana clashed with former President Didier Ratsiraka when both claimed the presidency after a disputed election. After low-level fighting split the country between two governments, two capitals and two presidents, Ratsiraka fled to France in June 2002.
Ravalomanana was re-elected in 2006. — Sapa-AP