Take a few moments to call the United States to act for democracy in Madagascar.
On March 31st, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) reviews a dangerous roadmap proposed to end Madagascar’s crisis brought about in 2009 by Andry Rajoelina’s coup d’état against democratically elected president Marc Ravalomanana.
The current SADC roadmap is dangerous for Madagascar because it rewards Andry Rajoelina with dictatorial powers and allows him to run for election even though he is constitutionally unqualified for the presidency according to the pre-coup constitution. The current roadmap is a formula for continued conflict, not a return to democracy. If this roadmap is approved without serious modifications, it will set a hazardous precedent that coup d’états and repression are a successful way to gain and maintain power in Madagascar and elsewhere.
Since the initialing of the roadmap on March 9th, Andry Rajoelina has named incumbent Prime Minister Camille Vital as his “consensus” prime minister on March 16th in a serious violation of the roadmap. The head of Ravalomanana’s political faction in Madagascar, Mamy Rakotoarivelo, was detained by Rajoelina’s secret police on March 15th.
It is urgent that the United States use its influence to encourage SADC to find a solution that limits Rajoelina’s power and allows for a consensual transition agreed upon by all major factions.
If the SADC roadmap is not significantly modified, the United States should not support it.
You can support democracy in Madagascar by picking one or two key points from this message and then sharinging them by phone, fax, or email:
White House comment line: (202) 456-1111
Sen. Christopher Coons (D-DE) Chair, Subcommittee on African Affairs, tel: (202) 224-5042, fax: (202) 228-3075; Senior political advisor: Christy Gleason
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on African Affairs, tel: (202) 224-3643, fax: (202) 228-0724; Aide: Houston Ernst
Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ) Chair, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, tel: (202) 225 –3765, fax: 202-225-7768; Aide: Mark Kearney
Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ) Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, tel:(202) 225-3436, fax: (202) 225-4160; Aide: Algene Sajery
Amb. Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of African Affairs, tel: (202) 647-4440
Mr. Karl Wycoff, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau ofAfrican Affairs, tel: (202) 647-1819
Ms. Marisa Cohrs, State Dept Country Officer for Madagascar, tel: (202) 647-5922
Pray for the people of Madagascar.
Thank you very much for caring about democracy and the people of Madagascar.
The 219th General Assembly (2010) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) expressed concern for democracy in Madagascar.
This was originally published on ecclesio.com; reposted with permission.