Deposed Antananarivo Mayor AndryRanjoelina has called on his supporters to begin another round of streetprotest today (Thursday) after a break down in peace negotiations. This comes afterPresident Marc Ravalomanana failed to attend what would have been the fourthround of peace talks to resolve Madagascar's political crisis. Malagasies areexpressing disappointment and blaming President Ravalomanana after his refusalto attend the meeting which led the opposition leader to pull out of the talks.The mediator of the talks, Archbishop Odon Razanakolona also stepped downcalling on the United Nations Secretary General to take up the role and helpresolve the crisis. Mialy Randriamampianina is a Malagasy journalist. She tellsreporter Peter Clottey many Malagasies feel let down by what they described asthe president's nonchalant attitude.
"Todaythe opposition protests will restart after Andry Rajoelina asked the people andasked his partisans to present at the protests for today. We don't know if themeeting between the two leaders to resolve the crisis is going to take placetoday because yesterday (Wednesday), Marc Ravalomanana was not present, andthat is why Andry Rajoelina will hold the protests again today. So, we don'tknow if the meeting about the mediation is going to exist again," Randriamampianinapointed out.
She said Malagasies arefaulting the president for the breakdown of the peace negotiations.
"Both of them (PresidentRavalomanana and opposition leader Rajoelina) agreed to stop protests andstopping any form of broadcasting on both radio and even television in order topromote the peace mediation to find a solution to the political crisis. ButMarc Ravalomanana didn't really follow the rule of the talks because he refusedto be present at the meeting yesterday (Wednesday) and he didn't tell the oppositionthat he will not be present," She said.
Randriamampianina said theopposition was upset after the president abruptly refused to attend the peacetalks.
"The president visited otherregions of the country so the opposition delegation including the leader AndryRajoelina waited for the president for a long time and he failed to come. Someof the president's aides said he would be available on Friday and that reallymade the opposition party delegation very angry about the situation. And thatis why they decided to hold another round of protests today," Randriamampianinapointed out.
She said some Malagasies aredemanding an explanation from the president for his failure to attend themeeting aimed at resolving the political crisis.
"He didn't give any reason,but we heard reports that he was in two regions of Madagascar and we are yet toreceive any information about why he failed to show up for the meeting. So,that is why the leaders of the opposition took the decision to begin anotherround of protests today," she said.
Randriamampianina saidMalagasies are disappointed in the breakdown of the peace negotiations.
"Everybody was reallydisappointed because everybody was hoping for a solution to the politicalcrisis. And they were really disappointed that there is a breakdown and thatmade people feel really let down," Randriamampianina noted.
Meanwhile,the opposition leader expressed displeasure at what he described as themediator's biased towards his opponent. He said President Ravalomanana's absence from the meeting is tantamountto the lack of respect for the Malagasy people.
Some Malagasies said thepeace talks had brought a degree of normality to the capital, Antananarivo,fearing that the breakdown will possibly ignite violent protest, which wouldplunge the country into chaos.
Earlier on Wednesday, Archbishop Odon Razanakolona whoacted as chief mediator at three rounds of talks stepped down and called on theUnited Nations to come up with a way out of the impasse. But other church leadersoverseeing the negotiations said they would continue the mediation efforts.