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Madagascar’s Prime Minister Displeased with Former Presidents


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.

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