Six months of struggle for the legalistic side

Supporters short of patience, but not of hope to witness a return home and, especially,  to power of the president reelected in 2006. It’s been the daily snapshot on the Magro Place for two months. Long ago, the legalistic demonstrators were on the place of democracy in Ambohijatovo, before being expelled ” by the soldiers of the Transition. It was just after the putsch of mid-March.    

Before this deadline the demonstrators gathered however, onto different places of the capital city to defend Marc Ravalomanana’s mandate confronted by a long time thought ouster. First to the Stadium of Mahamasina, then in the surrounding streets, and, finally, in front of the state palace of Iavoloha as a human shield against an assault of the mutinous who supported Andry Rajoelina.   

In all, it amounts to a six months long defence of Marc Ravalomanana’s cause. Supposed to lead the country until 2011 in a second mandate, yet the president had to go into exile in Swaziland, then in South Africa after the putsch. Since then, he’s been fighting a genuine diplomatic battle to get the support of his African counterparts to restore constitutional order in Madagascar, while regularly promising his imminent return to the Great Isle.    

After the failure of the negotiations in view of a consensual solution to the Malagasy crisis, this announced return can only be achieved by the use of force. Marc Ravalomanana is currently accused by the High Authority of Transition of trying to introduce so-called “mercenaries” in the country. The legalistic reply, they call the “mercenaries” regular soldiers from SADC country members coming to restore order.