Newsletter No. XLIX - December 2003

A nglo-Malagasy Society Newsletter No. XLIX - December 2003 SOCIETY ACTIVITIES The film, impressively presented by Hanitra herself. On 12 March a meeting of the Society was held at also gave us glimpses of the lives of the band our usual venue of the New Cavendish Club. Mr Joe members as well as visits to a street market in Isotrv. Gomme, who had recently returned from a spell in an instrument maker and the new Antshow Arts Madagascar as the representative of the charity Centre established last year by Hanitra (see WaterAid, gave an inspiring talk entitled Highland Newsletter No.XLVIII). Quite outstanding and well Springs and Desirable Toilets. WaterAid, as its worth looking out for if it is shown again on name implies, works to develop and improve the television. supply of water, the most essential ingredient for Future meetings - dates for your diary. On human survival and economic development, both 10 March Christina Dodwell will give a talk on her agricultural and industrial, and also sanitation, in community radio project (see enclosed notice). The Third World countries. In Madagascar, working AGM will be held on 27 May when Alison Jolly will with local NGOs, WaterAid supports projects in talk about her new book, due to be published in four of the six provinces to provide rural water April, entitled Lords and Lemurs. For the autumn supplies, through both gravity-fed pipe schemes and meeting we are planning to have a talk by Paddy well construction. It has also introduced the closely Bush on Malagasy music with the support of the related problem of sanitation and hygiene promotion celebrated valiha player Justin Valli. into its programmes, working with local partners to overcome local taboos in the rural south against the EVENTS IN MADAGASCAR building of latrines, and operating also in urban The new government formed by Jacques Sylla on 16 areas. WaterAid's projects, which cost relatively January consisted mainly of technocrats and was little, can make a major difference to the quality of reduced in numbers from the 30-32 common during life of the people concerned. Members wishing to the Third Republic to a more appropriate 22 support their work should contact WaterAid at its ministers. However this made it more difficult to headquarters at Prince Consort House, 27-29 Albert reward with ministerial posts all the parties who had Embankment, London SE1 7UB or E-mail them on supported Ravalomanana' s presidential campaign as wateraid(awateraid.oru.uk. members of KMMR (Committee for the Support of On 15 July the Annual General Meeting of Marc Ravalomanana). A number of disappointed the Society was held, at which the present officers ministerial hopefuls, mainly from MFM and RPSD, and committee members were re-elected. After the set up a new group KMMR/Nouveau, which now meeting there was a showing of a new television forms an unofficial opposition along with ex- documentary entitled "The Mad Rhythms of President Zafy's CRN ( Commission de Madagascar" and featuring the well-known group Reconciliation Nationale). In his campaign for an Tarika and its leader Hanitra Rasoanaivo Anderson. amnesty for crimes committed during the 2002, Zafy The film traced the roots of the group's style in the has continued to denigrate Ravalomanana's traditional music of the island in a spectacular 1000 government (which he does not recognise as kilometre road trip from Antananarivo to Tulear and legitimate) and to stir up regional and tribal beyond. On the way we encountered musicians differences, with the result that CNR is increasingly playing for afamadihana, roadside kabosv bands, a marginalised. capella village choirs, Antandroy and Vezo bands With little or no representation in Parliament and a hiragasv troupe. and no plausible programme for dealing with the 1 country's urgent problems, these opposition groups or release them for lack of evidence. have expressed themselves mainly in public The trial of Tantely Andrianarivo was post- demonstrations which have tended to turn violent. poned for some time: his lawyers claimed that as a On 13 May KMMR/N held a demonstration at former Prime Minister he can be tried only by the Mahamasina stadium to commemorate "the popular Haute Cour de Justice, which does not yet exist. struggle of 2002". But this was seen as an attempt to However on 22 December he was brought to trial in destabilise the government and overthrow the the ordinary criminal court at Anosy in Antananarivo President, and was strongly opposed by the on seven counts, including misappropriation of population of the capital: when a KMMR/N banner public funds, offence against public security and appeared calling for the dismissal of Jacques Sylla usurpation of functions. On the previous day the (who has been the target of an abusive press press published a lengthy report by Amnesty campaign) the crowd intervened to seize and burn International denouncing numerous irregularities in all the banners. Zafy's CRN has organised a series his treatment while in custody during eighteen of anti-Government demonstrations in Tamatave months, including lack of contact with his family and and other provincial capitals which have ended in his lawyers, who were given insufficient time and violence and vandalism. In June it also published a information to prepare his defence. In court he pamphlet Un roublard (foxy person) au pouvoir appeared emaciated and ill as a result of his directly attacking the President, challenging his treatment. The Amnesty report also pointed out that legitimacy and criticising his Government for during the crisis of 2002 supporters ofRavalomanana cronyism in favouring members of his party TIM in had also committed crimes of violence against the making public appointments. persons and property of members of the former These opposition groups do not appear to regime, but not one of them had been brought to pose any serious threat to President Ravalomanana, justice. whose continuing popularity was confirmed by an On 23 December Andrianarivo was unusual and possibly unprecedented standing condemned to 12 years' forced labour and a fine of ovation at the Independence Day parade on 26 June. fmg 42 billion (£4.5 million). The result of what is In the longer term a more effective opposition might perceived as a political trial has been generally be provided by ex-President Ratsiraka's party denounced in the press. It has strengthened a AREMA, which polled a respectable number of growing campaign for an amnesty and appeals for votes in the legislative elections, though winning reconciliation between partisans of the President and only three seats. However it has split into two the ex-President. However early in the New Year the wings - moderates led by Pierre Raharijaona and un- President in effect overruled the court by authorising repentant hard-liners led by Benjamin Vaovao. The Andrianarivo to go abroad for medical treatment thus National Secretary of AREMA, Pierrot commuting his sentence to exile. Rajaonarivelo, remains in exile in France and has Ratsiraka himself, in exile in Paris, is now been condemned in absento to five years in prison almost blind from his diabetes, while his wife is on charges of peculation. Other AREMA leaders, paralysed following a stroke. He was granted asylum including Ampy Portos and the ex-Governors of with a visa de long sejour on condition that he Toliara and Fianarantsoa, have been condemned to avoided public statements. Interviewed by Jeune five years in prison for activities during the crisis, Afi•ique in July he said only "Je viellis et je ferme la but the first two are also safe in exile. gueule ". However he broke his silence when on 6 Meanwhile Colonel Coutiti, Ratsiraka's August the Ordinary Criminal Court of Antananarivo "strong man" in the north during the crisis, has been (in between two cases of vols de boeufs) condemned condemned on successive counts to many years in him to 10 years forced labour and permanent prison. In October the death of Colonel Norbert exclusion from public office for misappropriation of Botomora while in preventive detention increased public funds, specifically the withdrawal of some S8 the pressure on the Ministry of Justice to accelerate million from the Toamasina branch of the Central the trials of the still numerous "detainees of 2002" Bank shortly before his departure to exile. Two 2 junior lawyers had been appointed to defend him, established as a proper political party with a but as they did not have access to the dossier programme, a party congress and elected officers, d 'instruction or any contact with their client they and remains largely dependent on the popularity of did not offer any defence. In Paris, Ratsiraka the President. Another problem is the "band- denounced the court's action and pointed out that waggon" tendency prevalent in Malagasy politics while his government was based in Toamasina since independence, under which many politicians. during the crisis he withdrew much larger sums lacking serious political convictions, adhere to the from the Central Bank to pay the officials of the five dominant party in the hope of sharing the spoils of provinces that remained loyal to him and also to office. make the payments due on the country's debt to the In his first year in power President IMF and the World Bank. This case, which Ravalomanana concentrated on consolidating attracted a lot of publicity in the French press, may international recognition of his regime, attending have won some sympathy for Ratsiraka and summit meetings of the United Nations, damaged the reputation of the Malagasy Francophonie, the Non-Aligned Nations, Government. Afrique/France and finally the African Union at Another formerly prominent party the RPSD Maputo in July, ending a period of over a year during (Rassemblement Populaire Social Democrate) has which Madagascar's membership was suspended.

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