Life sentence for Madagascar ex-leader 'may prolong crisis'
ANTANANARIVO — The sentencing of Madagascar's former president Marc Ravalomanana to hard labour for life may prove to be one more obstacle in the island's attempts to emerge from its current political crisis.
Ravalomanana, who lives in exile in South Africa, was sentenced in absentia Saturday by a court in Antananarivo for his part in what are known as the February 7, 2009 killings, the third sentence handed to him since his ouster.
On that day, Ravalomanana's presidential guard fired without warning on supporters of the island's current strongman Andry Rajoelina making their way to the presidency, killing at least 30 people and wounding more than 100.
Madagascar has been mired in political turmoil since Rajoelina grabbed power three months later, in May 2009.
"This is not going to facilitate the resolution of the crisis," said a western diplomat in the capital who asked not to be quoted.
"I am baffled by the way the trial, which deserved an in-depth investigation, coincided with the ongoing political meetings on how to manage the transition," he said, noting the Ravalomanana court hearing lasted just two days.
Calling it a "mock trial", Ravalomanana told AFP in South Africa its true purpose was to prevent him for running for president again and disrupt talks on resolving the Indian Ocean island's political crisis.
"I reject this verdict because it's stupid, it's ridiculous," Ravalomanana said.
Fetison Andrianirina, Ravalomanana's head of delegation in the crisis talks also told AFP in Madagascar that the ruling would "complicate any resolution to the crisis".
"How do you expect us to stay at the negotiating table?" he said, calling the sentence a "criminal ruling to which we attach no particular importance".
Joseph Breham, a lawyer representing an association of victims of the February 7 killings, AV7, however said the trial was "fair" and "respected international standards".
He told AFP the accused -- 14 of whom did not appear in court -- and their counsel employed "empty-chair" procedural tactics in order to discredit the court ruling.
"Throughout the trial all the lawyers who were present were able to put their arguments across normally," Breham said.
This latest sentence in absentia is Ravalomanana's third since his ouster. He was handed four years' jail and a fine for a case of conflict of interest in the purchase of a 60-million-dollar presidential jet and five years' hard labour over a land purchase.
The hearings this week in Antananarivo made waves with supporters and opponents of the ousted president turning up in large numbers at the court.
The February 2009 killings were triggered when Andry Rajoelina, a former DJ who was then mayor of Antananarivo but who proclaimed himself in charge of running the country, named a "prime minister" who thousands of his supporters wanted to install at the presidency.
International efforts to end the political upheaval on the island have so far been fruitless and the country's already poor economic situation has worsened with a suspension of foreign aid.
The latest non-inclusive deal aimed at breaking the deadlock, concluded just two weeks before the latest court hearing, calls on its signatories to "work together and pool their efforts in the search for a solution to end the crisis".
It further calls for a constitutional referendum to be held on November 17, parliamentary elections in March next year and a first round of presidential polls on May 4, 2011.
But since the sentence on Ravalomanana, attempts to bring about a rapprochement between the signatories of the latest deal and the camps of the island's three former presidents looks even more uncertain."
Ravalomanana on Saturday night accused Rajoelina of lacking the will to find a way out of the crisis.
"It is clear now that the illegal regime led by Rajoelina has no political will to solve the problem," he said in South Africa.
A series of other attempted deals have failed to be implemented, leaving the island in institutional limbo as Rajoelina's regime is not recognised by the international community.