A GROUP of military officers in Madagascar yesterday claimed to have taken over the country as citizens went to the polls for the first time since a coup destabilised the troubled island last year.
The news that a second coup was under way came as voters were casting their ballots in a constitutional referendum designed by politician Andry Rajoelina to resolve the political crisis that has dogged the country since he took control with the army’s support in March 2009.
Yesterday’s power play was launched by a group of 18 senior army officers, some of whom supported Mr Rajoelina’s 2009 coup. The officers said they were taking action to try and end the political stalemate gripping the island state off the southeast coast of Africa.
A former radio DJ and businessman, Mr Rajoelina has managed to remain in control since seizing power from the democratically elected president Marc Ravalomanana. But he has failed to get full local or global acceptance.
The country’s opposition parties have refused to recognise him saying he has reneged on a peace deal agreed under international mediation by the country’s political stakeholders.
Col Charles Andrianasoavina and his co-conspirators made their intentions clear to reporters that were called to a military base near Antananarivo airport in the early afternoon.
He explained that because Mr Rajoelina had done little to end the country’s political stalemate they had decided to take action.
This, he said, meant the military would pursue a route of national reconciliation and dissolve the government institutions. They would establish a national committee to lead the country, he added.
He also said that many of the country’s political prisoners would be released and called on exiles to return “to work together to save our fatherland.” “Alas, the different parties continue to hold on to their respective positions, and the people of Madagascar are suffering the consequences of false pride – politicians, those in charge of the economy. But the people above all no longer know what to do. There’s no security.”
The whereabouts of Mr Rajoelina remained unclear last night, as does the situation in general, but the country’s prime minister, Camille Vital, said the government was meeting over the declaration and was attempting to confirm if a genuine coup was underway.
“We are trying to find a solution to ease the situation because we don’t want to interfere with the referendum vote,” the prime minister said.
“They are in the base . . . They are about 18. You cannot underestimate anybody but our concern is the conduct of the referendum,” he added.
As voters went to the polls early during the day there was no indication that a coup was in the offing. Antananarivo, the capital, was said to be calm throughout the day.
Mr Rajoelina’s main political opponents had called on the public to boycott the poll, saying the new constitution is designed to strengthen Mr Rajoelina’s grip on power. They say the new charter allows the head of the High-Transitional Authority, Mr Rajoelina, to retain power until the election of a new president.