Monday, February 16, 2009
Crisis update
Thanks for your notes and well wishes. Madagascar's political environment is still shaky. Peace Corps has taken very good care of us, and is doing everything possible to keep the program running and all volunteers safe, but it seems Madagascar's leading politicians can't keep their egos under wraps. Our situation is day-to-day. Yesterday we thought we were going back to site. Today (just after midnight, actually) we were told to sit tight for a little while longer. The positives from consolidation include the friendships I've made with my fellow volunteers and the improvement in my volleyball game. The negatives include worrying about the future: peoples lives are going to be much harder here no matter who is president (rise in prices, decline in tourists, etc.); wondering if there will be a couch I can crash on and employment for me should I have to go back to the States a year early, and my new addiction to Facebook. There are a few good websites that are keeping us up to date: one on facebook (Updates on Madagascar Crisis) and www.sobika.com (in French, though). I'll write more when I know more myself! Please keep Madagascar in your thoughts!
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2 comments:
Madagascar crisis is almost over
Are you aware that Andry Rajoelina is just the doll of the former communist president the Admiral Ratsiraka who have shot on thousands of people in 1991.
Did you also know that the street prime minister owe 15 billion Ariary to the Malagasy state when he bought a state owned company and he never paid. His is actually in trouble as his dossier is in court. The technical secretary of the privatization, managed by the world bank in Antananarivo has the entire details about it. He cannot issue bank checks at the moment.
Did you also know that the street minister of finance Benja Razafimahaleo was a former manager of one of the subsidiary of the Bollore Technology group, a tobacco manufacturer in Antsirabe, Madagascar. He was fired because he robbed five trucks of cigarettes with few of his colleagues.
Can you confirm that such government will be reliable and will manage the country well ?
Democracy means accepting the will of the majority and the power can be taken only by election, not by robbery in the street. Democracy does not mean anarchy. How can you accept that an unkown man would speak with the State emblem, speaking as a president on the TV. Is that what is democracy ? How can you support such anarchy.
Ravalomanana, because of his patriotism, remains in power even he is rich enough to be quiet and live his own life. We, Malagasy, also love him and we were more than 70000 people supporting him last Saturday at the Mahamasina stadium. Just to confirm that he was elected with more than 56 percent in 2006. Madagascar is on its way for the development.
It is not that we are in Africa that any intervention of the military force is always considered as a bad action. Madagascar is a state like any other state in the US, Europe or Asia. The military is there to protect the people, the administration and the State itself. The opposition leader is much too immature to lead his people. He has never attend all these action to take ministries offices. His own people will revert against him as he cannot make it as per his promises.
The lives of the population is not a show biz like the opposition leader want it to be. As a former show biz person, he wants to play. But he is at the end of the road now.
Ravalomanana and the Malagasy people are winning.
Madagascar is one of the poorest countries, again through a crisis as profound as that of 2002.
At 34 years old, Andry Rajoelina, aka Andry TGV, a former disc jockey and entertainment organizer, elected in December 2007 as the mayor of Antananarivo, the capital, declared himself President of the Republic Saturday 31 January 2009. The case is not new in Africa, where anyone who listened to by a section of the population claims to be sent from Heaven.
Sunday 08 February, the Malagasy authorities have issued a warrant of arrest against some members of the staff of Andry Rajoelina. His chief of staff to the urban municipality of Antananarivo, the retired general Rasolosoa Dolin, is among those concerned.
Wednesday 04 February, the State has decided the replacement of Andry Rajoelina due to flagrant breach of its obligations. A special delegation is set up to manage municipal affairs in place of the elected mayor team.
He immediately responded by appointing Michel Ratsivalaka, one of his five deputies, new boss of the city of Antananarivo. There is a few days since a man and a woman in conflict in command of the ship of municipal government.
This duality is less confusing than that found in the central management of the country. Andry Rajoelina willingly left office as mayor to migrate through the streets to the highest summit of the State by setting up a transitional government.
He requested the immediate departure of the incumbent President Marc Ravalomanana, while for the second successive time, he won the constitutional majority in the outcome of democratic elections held on 16 December 2006.
On a console with the emblem of the Republic, the rebel mayor presented on Saturday February 07, the mythical place from 13 May in the capital, which was defeated and schemes in Madagascar, his Prime Minister, in the person of Monja Roindefo .
He is the son of the late nationalist South Jaona Monja, a staunch opponent of former President Didier Ratsiraka became a close associate of the son Monja. The designated by Andry Rajoelina should join his palace Antaninarenina after a crowd bath the same Saturday.
Heated by the populist rhetoric that attained by the folly of grandeur, as usual, excited people then took the direction of Antaninarenina. "I bless you to go retrieve Ambohitsirohitra (presidential palace) which belongs to the people, has harangued Andry Rajoelina this Saturday.
Antaninarenina is the name of the neighborhood of Antananarivo, which are built public buildings and private among the most important is presidential palace, the central bank, some ministries and branches of commercial banks.
The area is classified as red zone like any site of palaces and other symbols of the integrity of the state throughout the country and abroad. Any attempted unauthorized entry is considered a crime.
In perfect knowledge of the facts, General Dolin Rasolosoa allowed himself to drive the people to a high risk area after the blessing of their leader Andry Rajoelina.
Faced with uncontrolled and uncontrollable people, like the waves out of the gates suddenly opened, the forces responsible for protecting the palace of State could only shoot with real ammunition on the crowd after the usual summations.
The dead and wounded numbered in the dozens. Journalists were not spared. Ando Ratovonarivo, a journalist from the private channel RTA, was shot in the middle neck. Others were seriously injured by gunfire or because of the scramble.
After these sad events that feed all the discussions, a general officer who preferred anonymity assigns full responsibility to his gun brother General Dolin Rasolosoa, already subject of another arrest warrant transmitted to the public on the morning of Wednesday 28 January by the President in office himself.
According to his revelations, General Dolin with Roland Ratsiraka, another battle companion of Andry Rajoelina not less nephews of Admiral Didier Ratsiraka, had assured the recruitment of gangs that sown terror in Antananarivo and in other major cities on 26 and 27 January.
Some have questioned the pace on "high speed" of the current situation in Madagascar. Without dwelling on the real reasons for the crisis, the people who lived the events of 1972, 1991 et2002, talk about old methods at work.
In a country with a weak political culture and whose residents have a very low level of education, which are increasingly vulnerable to the uncertainties of life amplified by the context of global crises, the escalation of the adage "voice of people, voice of God "is a well-trained with the innocent.
Just yesterday evening, Andry Rajoelina standing in front of the emblem of the Republic of Madagascar, was introduced on its private channel Viva by inviting people to a wake for victims at the stadum of Mahamasina.
Assurance is given to bereaved families on expenditures related to the funeral ceremonies funeral. In this way, the rebel exhausser innocent desecrated in other areas and red and sacrifice for him en masse.
On several occasions, Andry Rajoelina has loudly proclaimed that run through whatever happens. Now he believes the President propelled by the street and also the arms, in front of the one designated by the democratic votes, he has to conquer his "chair" at a cost of more innocent people.
Nevertheless, the lives of people following their normal course as if nothing had happened.
Antananarivo, 9 February 2009
Latest news: the first manifestation of the population who follow the President Marc Ravalomanana on Saturday 14th February has gathered 50 000 people at Mahamasina Stadium.
No single tourist were attacked, nor injured during the conflict in Madagascar.
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