The two-page letter is addressed to several parliamentary institutions and international organizations, but it is France which is primarily addressed. The French ambassador in Antananarivo, Arnaud Guillois, made no mistake and was the first to receive, Thursday, November 2, a delegation of four Malagasy parliamentarians who came to relay the concern and incomprehension of the signatories in the face of silence of France in the face of the pre-electoral crisis in which Madagascar is sinking.
Should we wait for blood to flow in the streets of Antananarivo for foreign governments to come out of their reserve and clearly condemn the manipulation of the electoral process by outgoing President Andry Rajoelina with a view to his re-election?, warns in substance the written text by elected officials representing the Collective of 10, bringing together ten of the thirteen contenders for the presidential election, and opposed to the holding of the vote on November 16.
“This is a crisis predicted, with the evidence and warning signs to back it up. But there must undoubtedly be deaths, blood flowing and spurting for it to be recognized that there is danger in the house! “, denounces the letter by calling on “duty to interfere (…) to prevent a conflict”.
“At an impasse”
Since the beginning of October, the Collective of 10, including former presidents Marc Ravalomanana and Hery Rajaonarimampianina, have boycotted the campaign and organized peaceful marches, several of which were dispersed with tear gas canisters. One of the candidates was injured in the eye and is still in Mauritius where he had to be evacuated for treatment. If, after the first acts of repression, the demonstrators kept their distance from the Place du 13-Mai, they intend to try to reinvest this symbolic place in the center of the capital on Saturday, where all the major turning points of life took place. politics of the country.
Foreign governments, including France, which financially support the organization of the election, have so far responded in terms considered too measured given the seriousness of the situation, announcing in their latest press release of October 16 “their concern about a tense political climate” or “their concerns about the disproportionate use of force”.
The same day, on the occasion of the inauguration of the parliamentary session, the President of the National Assembly, Christine Razanamahasoa, although a member of the presidential party, noted a “country in an impasse”. Present among other members of the diplomatic corps, Arnaud Guillois, interviewed by local journalists, then caused a disturbance by declaring ” take note ” of the date of November 16 for the first round, while the opposition demands a postponement of the vote. The ambassador’s words were taken out of context, a diplomatic source argues, assuring that in no case “they didn’t mean validation”.
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