Latest update: 25/03/2009 

- Andry Rajoelina - Madagascar - Marc Ravalomanana


Madagascar: ask our correspondents
Madagascar: ask our correspondents
Andry Rajoelina, former mayor of Madagascar's capital, has been confirmed as acting president, replacing his political rival Marc Ravalomanana. FRANCE 24’s Cyril Vanier (pictured) and Virginie Herz answer readers’ questions about the situation.
By Cyril VANIER / Virginie HERZ (text)
FRANCE 24's Cyril Vanier and Virginie Herz are in Madagascar covering the rise to power of former Antananarivo Mayor Andry Rajoelina, who has replaced Marc Ravalomanana as president. Send them your questions by clicking the ‘React’ button below.

Video

Related links

Follow Cyril's Tweets from Madagascar. (Note: if the box is empty, Twitter is probably down. Check back later.)

Question from Lemzo, Dakar, Senegal (18/03/09):

How's your reporting in the field going?

 

Virginie Herz:

It’s going well overall. The last few days have been pretty eventful so w've had to rush around a lot. One of the hardest things here is the number of rumours - they spread like wildfire, making it very tough to gather facts. We have to check each new piece of information three or four, even five times.

 

 

Question from Vasaha 74, Morzine, France (18/03/09):

I travel to Madagascar every year and crisscross it on my motorbike. Have you felt a rise in anti-French sentiment recently?

 

Virginie Herz:

I personally haven't felt any anti-French sentiment, even though sometimes we've been asked to take sides, as French citizens, if an argument breaks out between supporters of opposing parties. Ravalomanana's supoprters accuse France of protecting Rajoelina. Rajoelina's supporters resent the fact that the French media use the term ‘coup’ when describing their takeover. We’ve been involved in spirited discussions, but they have never turned violent.

 

 

Question from Mavuba, Donetsk, Ukraine (18/03/09):

Wouldn’t it be better for the current Madagascar strongman to organize fresh elections as soon as possible? Just to prove to the world that he is a real democrat and patriot?

 

Virginie Herz:

Clearly quick elections, earlier than in two years' time, would be the best way for Andry Rajoelina to counter accusations that he has come to power in a coup. The next presidential elections were scheduled for 2011 in any case. Rajoelina says the country needs two years to ensure elections that are truly free and fair. According to him, previous elections were tainted by voter fraud.

 

 

Question from Bôry, Lyon, France (18/03/09):

Does the arrest warrant against Ravalomanana still hold? If so, why has he not yet been arrested?

 

Virginie Herz:

Not only is the arrest warrant against Ravalomanana still valid, but many of his ministers aren’t allowed to leave the country. Andry Rajoelina confirmed this to us in an interview on Wednesday evening. The former president has not yet been arrested because he is in hiding. Some believe that he is under the protection of the US embassy and trying to be smuggled out of the country, but the embassy denied these allegations when we contacted it.

 

 

Question from Rafotsy, Paris (17/03/09):

Are you sure the military directorate to whom Ravalomanana handed power weren’t forced to name Rajoelina interim president? Weren’t they coerced by members of the CAPSAT (pro-Rajoelina army)?

 

Virginie Herz:

The military directorate claims it wasn’t coerced. I attended their press conference at CAPSAT. But I also heard, and verified from several sources, that shortly after Ravalomanana transferred power to the generals, they were driven to their barracks by members of the CAPSAT forces, and remained there several hours before they announced that they were transferring full powers to Rajoelina.





mauvais depart

by SJ (not verified) - 23/03/2009 - 04:30

Bill,

I am not sure who you think Andry Rajoelina is, but it would appear to most that he is not exactly a beacon of integrity and moral fortitude. Don't just take my word on it. Ask the US ambassador in Madagascar about how he was threatened at gun point Rajoelina's military henchmen on March 17th.* It is because of this little incident that all Peace Corps workers and non essential embassy staff of the US embassy were evacuated from Madagascar over the last few days.

*http://www.topmada.com/2009/03/22/declaration-de-lambassadeur-des-usa-jai-ete-menace-verbalement-et-avec-des-fusils/

Ra8' s ouster from office

by Bill (not verified) - 22/03/2009 - 19:03

Now that Ra8 is out, people expects that all the dirty laundry of the regime is brought to the open: what would be the follow-up to the robbery of 6 miilion US dollars in the Central Bank of Manakara alleged to have assisted in ensuring the reelection of Ra8 in 2006 ? Will Interpol be invited to contribute to the search for the former director of that Bank, who is the younger brother of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ra8 , th General Ra....? Will be an audit by " Inspecteurs d' Etat" of the selling by Ra8 and his Ambassador in New York, of the residence of the Ambassador et Representative of Madagscar to the UN, located on 74 TH Street between Madison and Fifth Avenue in New York? I hope that the Andry Rajoelina administration would take decisive steps to address those Ra8's embarrasing scams for Madagascar and the Malagasy people.

Manipulation

by piero (not verified) - 21/03/2009 - 01:24

Do the people feel manipulated by Rajoelina ? He asked them to support him, to get down in the streets while it was obvious that Ravalomanana would have decided to defend himself with violence. More than 100 people have been killed and both of them are to blame.

Petrol interests

by Italian tourist (not verified) - 20/03/2009 - 12:09

Dear reporter,

I have read this in BBC
"2008 March - Madagascar produces first barrels of crude oil in 60 years and at a time of record oil prices. The government has issued 19 licenses to search for offshore oil since last August."

Is this coup d'etat related to the control of petrol and some foreign countries interested in it and change the former democratic government?

Thank you very much.

Behind the scenes?

by Voyageur (not verified) - 18/03/2009 - 23:27

For the first time, in a Reuters article, I saw it stated that Ratsiraka’s people are supporting TGV and this coup, and that France had given its tacit support to this as well. One of Ratsiraka’s former prime ministers was quoted in the article. What is up? Great reporting from the scene by Vanier, impressed he was at both palaces during the action.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE52F3ZT20090318?feedType=RS...

those two

by Jean (not verified) - 18/03/2009 - 06:17

Mr.Marc and mr. Andry are they citizens of madagascar.Is Madagascar part of the Unite Nations or is it a country Island govern by France.

"all" of the army is behind DJ turned President?

by SJ (not verified) - 18/03/2009 - 00:13

I saw the video* on France 24 with the envoyee speciale Virginie Herz, where the generals of the Malagasy Army who had been given power by the President Ravalomanana are being stuffed into the trunk of a car at gun point by soilders taking orders from Rajoelina. Are these the generals who later that day gave power over to Rajoelina? Does this not graphically demonstrate the divisions within the army that all of us know exist?

*
http://www.topmada.com/2009/03/17/communique-de-la-presidence-le-preside...

vive la France-Afrique!?#

by SJ (not verified) - 17/03/2009 - 20:02

I thought that Andry, the DJ turned politician, already has a good place - the French Ambassador's house -, to live. Not sure why he needs go to searching for another palace to live when the French government is has taken such interest in lodging him already.

https://pastel.diplomatie.gouv.fr/editorial/actual/ael2/pointpresse.asp?...

Madagascar

by Anonyme (not verified) - 16/03/2009 - 17:19

What´s going on in the rest of Madagascar? Most news items regarding the volatile political situation mention only the capital. I have been invited to the holiday of my dreams on the island of Nosy Be but obviously I don't know whether I dare. If you were me would you risk going?

Your comment on neighbors getting along

by Anonyme (not verified) - 16/03/2009 - 08:21

I am getting emails and pictures from friends in Madagascar that indicate neighbors are not getting along. People are staying indoors, keeping children home from school, afraid to go out for food because they are afraid for their saftey from government troops but also, each other because people have taken sides are are harming one another. We are working hard here in the US to impress appropriate officials with the gravity of the situation to get assistance requested from our friends in Tana. Reports like that one you made are neither true nor useful and probably undercut the American ambassador's attempts to do the same.

Is anything going to change after all?

by Anonyme (not verified) - 14/03/2009 - 17:58

People in- and outside Madagascar are wondering whether some of the promised reforms (freedom of speech without fear of retribution, political transparency, etc.) will be applicated to Madagascar after the jobs in the government are distributed and the crisis is over. People are discussing politics broadly on the streets and on the internet (which is good!) and try to contribute their ideas to solve the crisis. However I can't see at the moment that anyone on the political side is really interested in these opinions. How much influence do the young, innovative Malagasy have? How strong are they integrated in reform-processes and what is the influence of bloggers and citizen media on the conflict? Will the internet and new media involve more people into discussions and exchange of opinions about politics and what has to be done to strengthen this further in your opinion? Thank you!

pro-government reaction?

by Anonymous (not verified) - 14/03/2009 - 17:14

If the opposition succeeds in ousting the government, how likely is it that there will be prolonged conflict coming from those loyal to the existing government? Will the taking of the government outright by TGV lead to more fighting as the loyalists try to take back power?

Crisis in Madagascar

by Anonyme (not verified) - 12/03/2009 - 20:27

I lived in Madagascar for two years, I speak their language, and I've served along side them. Needless to say, the Malagasy people are very dear to my heart. I want to know how this crisis is affecting the average Malagasy family. Are they working? Going to school? Continuing their normal everyday activities? Or are things at a bit of a standstill? How is this power struggle affecting the people? Do they want this change? Or does the majority of the people want things to return back to the way they were?

military actions in Antananarivo

by Anonyme (not verified) - 12/03/2009 - 16:25

What is the state of the military today? Have they started taking over the National Police and government offices as you stated in an earlier interview?

Related Content
Close