Agreement in Maputo, the bases for a consensual and inclusive transition

Every party seems rather satisfied with the negotiations in Maputo, and that would have pushed through to the signature of an agreement supposed to put an end to the eight months long political crisis. The main agreement point is the drawing of a new transition’s scheme that will last, at most, 15 months from the date of signature.

In short, they agreed on the roadmap expressed by president Ravalomanana when he entrusted the power to a military board of directors, roadmap however enhanced by the timing established by the HAT partisans at the time of the national assemblies.  Since then, the transition’s duration shrank indeed from 24 to 19 then to 15 months. The holding of the constitutional referendum, the presidential and legislative elections will therefore take place before the end of 2010.

The International Contact Group emphasized in its statement that these elections will have to be transparent and closely monitored by international observers. They will aim at the restoration of democratic and steady institutions in Madagascar. Concerning this transition’s institutions, the main axis is the government and not an authority of any other nature. There will possibly be a transition’s president, a vice president, a Prime Minister and three vice Prime Ministers.

Thereupon, a government of consensus, for lack of national union, will be put in place for the transition’s period. The casting and role distribution are still to be defined by Malagasy parties. The ICG mediators had proposed a role distribution pattern in the transition charter project submitted to the four mobilities. A second delegation meeting is expected in Maputo within few days to ratify power sharing between mobilities.

Marc Ravalomanana declared that he does not intend to participate in the transition. Such decision is explained by a couple of reasons: on one hand, his return is depending on an eventual appeased and favourable political situation, and on the other hand, he wants to secure his participation to the incoming presidential election. The agreement signed in Maputo stipulates that no transitional government members will be able to contest in the election apart from the president in office.  The Ravalomanana mobility is, however, going to participate in this inclusive government of consensus.