In Madagascar, the main opposition isexpected to hold a rally today in the capital, Antananarivo to press home itsdemands for the resignation of embattled President Marc Ravalomanana. Thiscomes a day after officers in a military camp in the capital refused to takeany more orders from Ravalomanana's government, a move that has split the armyin two. Some of the officers promised their support for the main oppositionleader, who is also the deposed Antananarivo mayor, Andry Rajoelina. The moveis expected to worsen the political stalemate between President Ravalomananaand the opposition leader. Monja Roindefo is a leading opposition figure inMadagascar. He tells reporter Peter Clottey that today's rally aims to restoretrue democracy in the country.
"Therewill be a big rally today in order to resume the demonstration after thepresident attempted to quash the action," Roindefo noted.
Hesaid the opposition will be legally challenging the president after accusinghim of infringing upon the constitution by what the opposition describes asstifling dissenting views.
"Wewill be making a legal representation because you know the president has neverrespected the constitution, and he has never respected any democraticprinciples in this democratic country. He has also not respected free market orthe law of competition, and we really have to restore those principles in thecountry. So we have to set up the transitional authority and in fact with allthe political forces in Madagascar," he said.
Roindefojustified the opposition protests by saying ordinary Malagasy cannot live withthe abject poverty staring them in the face, which they accused the presidentof not resolving.
"Theproblem is that he (Ravalomanana) has infringed upon the constitution of thecountry repeatedly. And you know, in a representative democracy like us, thepresident has made it impossible for people to express themselves through ourinstitutions. And our institutions have been deliberately stifled by thepresident, so we have to resort to protests in order to restore the democraticprinciples in the country," Roindefo pointed out.
Hesaid the opposition aims to force the president to resign, despite having twomore years left on his tenure.
"Soto wait two more years, that means that we will allow the infringement of theconstitution for another two years. And for the next two years, allow thepresident to stifle the law of competition in a free democracy in a freemarket. So for another two years we will allow for the embezzlement for anothertwo years and allow the abject poverty for another two years to continue. TheMalagasy people cannot afford that and for that reason they have to resort toprotests for a transitional authority to reform the electoral code and organizefree and new democratic elections," he said.
Roindefodenied the opposition organized protests will destabilize the country asclaimed by some political analysts.
"Weare very careful in what we do and so are the military careful in what it does.But you know one thing is that the soldiers or the military people are alsoaffected by the dictatorship of the president. And they and their families alsosuffer from poverty and the president's refusal to tackle the numerous problemsin the country as he promised to do," Roindefo pointed out.
Meanwhile, oppositionleader Rajoelina is reportedly in hiding and his television station off air onSunday as authorities intensified their crackdown on his anti-governmentmovement after weeks of unrest.
Some Malagasy people blame Ravalomanana for dismal levelsof poverty at a time the economy of the world's fourth largest island has grownsteadily off the back of booming oil and mineral sectors. This strengthened theopposition leader's call for the president to resign after accusing him ofinfringing on the country's constitution and being a dictator, a charge thegovernment rejected.
In the past few days, Security forces have thwartedanti-government supporters from gathering in the city's May 13 Plaza --epicenter of popular rebellions since the Indian Ocean island won independencefrom France in 1972 -- and on Saturday night took Rajoelina's private TV andradio station off the air.