Madagascar's Prime Minster is accusing
the International Contact Group (ICG) of betraying embattled President Andry Rajoelina.
Monja Roindefo said the ICG has joined forces with Madagascar former presidents
to undermine the newly formed unity government.
Three former presidents
rejected the coalition government after accusing President Rajoelina of failing
to consult them as stipulated in the recent power-sharing agreement signed in
the Mozambican capital, Maputo.
But the government sharply differed saying the
new coalition government involves party members of the former presidents.
In an
exclusive interview with the VOA, Prime Minister Monja Roindefo said that President Rajoelina is disappointed in the ICG as well as
the former presidents.
"When
we were in Maputo, the President, Andry Rajoelina himself has made this
declaration. That he felt a little bit betrayed by the International Group of
Contact," Roindefo said.
He
said there should have been no discussion in the Maputo negotiations over who
should be president.
"Normally
the fact that he is the president of the transition would not be any more
discussed in the Maputo second… but the International Contact Group put the
question again on the table," he said.
Roindefo
accused the ICG of disrespecting the recently signed agreement.
"First,
the 44th article in the charter of Maputo stipulates that the people
who will sign the charter will have the same right and the same duty as those
who have previously signed this charter. And now when we were discussing the
prime minister of consensus the International Contact Group, they denied the 44th
article in the charter," Roindefo said.
He
denied the former presidents were not consulted before the new coalition
government was constituted.
"When
we formed the cabinet last week, we consulted the different forces. And the
people who are now in the cabinet now (are) collaborator of Didier) Ratsiraka
(Marc) Ravalomanana and (Albert) Zafy. Those people are members of their
respective parties," he said.
Roindefo
said the new government is representative of the Maputo agreement.
"We
have formed a national union government... but we don't understand that now
they (former presidents) say those people are not from their parties. We don't
really understand their behavior," Roindefo said.
He
accused the former presidents of behaving like rebels.
"These
four groups of opposition behave like they are warlords in Somalia," he said.
Roindefo
said the new administration believes in democracy.
"We
are going to open again negotiations between the opposition and the four groups
and the former presidents. We are democrats and we will like for democracy to
return to Madagascar and we are striving for that," Roindefo said.
Meanwhile,
the government has called on the international community not to abandon
President Rajoelina's troubled administration.