Island to be ruled by trio of presidents

Published on Saturday 7 November 2009 19:03

MADAGASCAR'S political rivals have agreed to form a unity government with three "co-presidents".

The deal paves the way for an end to ten months of political crisis following a coup in the oil-and-mineral-rich Indian Ocean island.

Coup-instigator Andry Rajoelina will remain president, but will have to share power with two other co-presidents representing rival groups.

"There will be two co-presidents as well as the president. That has been decided and accepted by leaders of the four movements, and by the president of the transition too," Rajoelina told the press shortly before midnight Friday in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

Tiebile Drame, UN special envoy to Madagascar, confirmed the agreement and said the parties were now working on dividing up ministerial portfolios.

The deal will allow both Rajoelina, who seized power with military backing in March to become Africa's youngest leader, and Marc Ravalomanana to claim victory. Rajoelina, 35, has struggled to win backing from the international community after regional blocs suspended Madagascar and major donors blocked aid.

Ravalomanana, who is exiled in South Africa and had become increasingly isolated from Madagascar's political arena, will now install a close ally at the highest political level.

While Rajoelina remains head of state, it was not immediately clear how executive power would be divided between the president and the twin-headed, so-called presidential council.

But a source close to the negotiations said all future decisions would have to be signed three-ways ahead of new elections to be held by late 2010.

Self-made millionaire Ravalomanana has agreed to play no direct role in the interim government under the terms of an initial power-sharing deal signed in Mozambique's capital in August. That accord called for charges of abuse of office levelled against the business tycoon to be cancelled, making way for his possible return to the world's fourth largest island.

Analysts say a final deal will allow donors who froze non-emergency assistance worth hundreds of millions of dollars to re-engage with Madagascar.