Dakar II – One year ago, today

You may recall that tension ran high at that time. Many, among the newly elected president?s supporters, would have preferred that he not even take part in this meeting. Skeptical, they felt that OAU and France were much too close, and biased to organize any kind of legitimate negotiations.

I was impressed by President Ravalomanana?s strategic finesse. To give himself the upper hand at this meeting, he painstakingly saw to it that the world would recognize the legality, and legitimacy of his leadership as sanctioned by the Supreme Court on April 29, 2002, and as demonstrated by his military advances in the field.

Thus, President Ravalomanana flew to Dakar as a victor. The rest, as you already know, is history. He returned home to a jubilant hero?s welcome. He triumphantly declared, “I promised you that I would defend our sovereignty as we vowed to trust one another.” And while former dictator Ratsiraka?s fiery rhetoric, made us fear the worst, we can proudly rejoice today, having honorably pulled through the 2002 crisis.

One year later, the new administration can claim a few tangible accomplishments in the field, and the economy is slowly recovering. On the political front, several issues still need to be resolved. Opposition demonstrators are still calling for regional division, and former dictator Ratsiraka?s fate remains undetermined.

More alarmingly, perhaps, the presidential party, even after one year of existence, has yet to mature enough to form a solid cohesion, and to serve as a true rallying point for the new leadership. Understandably, friends within the new president?s innermost circle are concerned by the slightest increase in the number of prominent figures loyal to the former regime, in key positions within the new administration.