Thu, 18 Nov 2010
Antananarivo - Madagascar's embattled leader Andry Rajoelina Thursday appeared to have survived a mutiny by a group of army officers, who had yet to announce their next move after their declaration they were staging a coup came to naught.
The soldiers, led by Colonel Charles Andrianasoavina, announced Wednesday they were dismantling the interim authority led by Rajoelina since the former club DJ came to power in a coup last year.
Andrianasoavina, who had supported Rajoelina's power grab but now appears to have turned against him, said the military would put in place a committee to run the country while pursuing an agenda of national reconciliation.
But Rajoelina and his Prime Minister Camille Vital insisted they were still in charge and dismissed the mutineers as no more than a "handful of people."
Malagasy news websites reported Thursday that the officers, who are based at a barracks near the main airport in the capital Antananarivo, were meeting to discuss their next move.
In the meantime the island's around 20 million people were also awaiting the results of Wednesday's referendum on a new constitution.
The referendum was part of a plan to try restore stability to the Indian Ocean island, which has been in crisis since then opposition leader Rajoelina forced out ex-president Marc Ravalomanana in March 2009.
But the opposition had urged the electorate to boycott the vote.
Provisional results put voter turnout at around 48 per cent, a poor turnout for an election in Africa, with the Yes camp, led by Rajoelina, far head.
The new charter lowers the minimum age for presidential candidates from 40 to 35.
If passed it would mean Rajoelina, 36, whom the international community has shunned, could stand in presidential elections scheduled for May 2011, even though he has declared he will not be a candidate.
There were isolated protests in parts of Antananarivo on Wednesday, when thousands of voters were turned away from polling stations because they were not on the register.
Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/354202,clings-mutiny-summary.html.
Antananarivo - Madagascar's embattled leader Andry Rajoelina Thursday appeared to have survived a mutiny by a group of army officers, who had yet to announce their next move after their declaration they were staging a coup came to naught.
The soldiers, led by Colonel Charles Andrianasoavina, announced Wednesday they were dismantling the interim authority led by Rajoelina since the former club DJ came to power in a coup last year.
Andrianasoavina, who had supported Rajoelina's power grab but now appears to have turned against him, said the military would put in place a committee to run the country while pursuing an agenda of national reconciliation.
But Rajoelina and his Prime Minister Camille Vital insisted they were still in charge and dismissed the mutineers as no more than a "handful of people."
Malagasy news websites reported Thursday that the officers, who are based at a barracks near the main airport in the capital Antananarivo, were meeting to discuss their next move.
In the meantime the island's around 20 million people were also awaiting the results of Wednesday's referendum on a new constitution.
The referendum was part of a plan to try restore stability to the Indian Ocean island, which has been in crisis since then opposition leader Rajoelina forced out ex-president Marc Ravalomanana in March 2009.
But the opposition had urged the electorate to boycott the vote.
Provisional results put voter turnout at around 48 per cent, a poor turnout for an election in Africa, with the Yes camp, led by Rajoelina, far head.
The new charter lowers the minimum age for presidential candidates from 40 to 35.
If passed it would mean Rajoelina, 36, whom the international community has shunned, could stand in presidential elections scheduled for May 2011, even though he has declared he will not be a candidate.
There were isolated protests in parts of Antananarivo on Wednesday, when thousands of voters were turned away from polling stations because they were not on the register.
Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/354202,clings-mutiny-summary.html.
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