Posted on Monday 10 August 2009
Sam Banda Junior, AfricaNews reporter in Blantyre, Malawi
Political rivals of Madagascar - President Andry Rajoelina and Marc Ravalomana - are reported to have agreed to form a unity government during a meeting which started last Wednesday in southern Africa's Mozambique. Media reports say Ravalomanana currently in South Africa has agreed to return home.
army in madagascar
Ravalomanana has since pledged to help resolve the crisis in the southern African nation.

The deal to form the unity government is said to have been brokered on Saturday and that the talks continued on Sunday with the meeting discussing the power sharing administration. AfricaNews reporter said this is expected to be good news for the country as well as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as peace will now prevail.

Media reports said that the two leaders agreed a power sharing deal having met for the first time since Ravalomanana was ousted in March. He has since been in exile.

Some analysts have since said that the agreement by the two rivals to form the unity government would help bring back investors in the country who were threatened by the violence.

The southern African country has been rocked up in political violence following Ravalomanana’s ouster as president by Rajoelina in March backed by the army. SADC brought the two leaders together through its appointed representative and peace keeper, former Mozambican president Joachim Chissano. Madagascar’s former presidents Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy were also part of the meeting.

Elections

Apart from the unity government, the two leaders are also said to have agreed to hold elections within 15 months. Rajoelina was quoted recently as saying that the elections would be held by the end of 2010.

A Reuters report was quoted as saying that a national unity government would be set up and comprise a prime minister, three deputy prime ministers and 28 ministers.

"They agreed the transition period will not exceed 15 months ... and will end with elections under international supervision that will lead to the restoration of democratic institutions and stability in Madagascar," the statement said.

Since his ouster, Ravalomanana has insisted that he was the legitimate president whereas Rajoelina said he was the president and accused the former president of corruption and abuse of office.

The meeting however, is said to have cleared Ravalomanana of all these charges.
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