Albert Zafy: standing by the agreements of Maputo

At the end of the ultimatum for the Rajoelina mobility’s return to the negotiation table, the Zafy, Ravalomanana and Ratsiraka mobilities have started running a campaign in favour of the implementation of the agreements signed in Maputo. No large scale action, though, is being planned in Antananarivo until the arrival of the international community’s joint mediation team on October 06th. The demand for the authorization to demonstrate inside the Mahamasina stadium has nearly appeared as a surprise for the city authorities. 

Antananarivo city’s police chief has definitely stated that no large scale political demonstration will be allowed in the city. The occupation of the “place of the democracy” as well as that of the Mahamasina stadium would be “non-negotiable “. The transitional authority’s refusal is, however, no disaster for the anti-Rajoelina mobilities. Generally speaking, it is, on the one hand, one more opportunity to denounce the new shape of totalitarianism and arbitrariness being installed in the country, and on the other hand, a motive to make spontaneous demonstrations pop up. 

Consensus 

At the time of his tour in the northeast of the country, former president Zafy reiterated the significance of the national unity extolled in the agreements signed in Maputo. “Andry Rajoelina is not entitled to designate the Ratsiraka, Zafy and Ravalomanana mobilities representatives to be integrated in the government “, said the professor.”…as I am not entitled to choose the Rajoelina mobility representatives either”, he added. The message to be put across is simple: the Monja Roindefo government is a complete violation of the charter signed in Maputo, as it is clearly stipulated that the Prime minister must be accepted as such by all of the four mobilities. 

Deadly confrontations 

Professor Zafy is accusing the transitional authorities and the Rajoelina mobility of driving the country on the confrontation path. “In 1971 and 1972, in 1991, in 2002 then in 2009, there have been confrontations which have taken their toll on Madagascans”, he recalled. “Could the current crisis last any longer, we would be heading toward further more confrontations”, regretted the former president. Albert Zafy is calling upon the Rajoelina mobility to work out genuine national unity in order to appease the situation. “The most important is to do everything so that either political crisis or confrontations between each other ever repeat again”, he suggested. 

National reconciliation 

The Albert Zafy mobility is keen on having the unity card in hand in the midst of adversity. “I have no account on walking beside Marc Ravalomanana and Didier Ratsiraka, but everybody must join forces for the supreme interest of the nation” he explained. The former president is regretting that the Andry Rajoelina mobility and the HAT are missing out on this mind-set of reconciliation. Within the ranks of the HAT, one begins to recognize that keeping Monja Roindefo in charge is neither a gain to defend nor “the people’s absolute will”. Some of Andry Rajoelina’s allies are hoping for a Malagasy made solution to the crisis, partly in order to avoid pressure from the international Contact Group. The civil society’s call for a meeting between the four mobilities is an opportunity to seize for the HAT.