Mr Joachim Chissano. FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Former Mozambican President Joachim Chissano was Thursday
expected in Antananarivo to mediate in the Madagascar political crisis.
The
15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) decided to
urgently send Mr Chissano to the island state that has been in the grip
of violent clashes between opposition supporters and security agencies.
SADC made the decision at its summit in Luanda, Angola on Tuesday.
Political actors
Mr
Chissano's mission entails facilitating a national dialogue to calm
down political tensions and come up with consensus on the electoral
reforms.
Meanwhile in Madagascar, diplomats struggled to meet with the various political actors.
Some envoys held a closed-door talks with President Hery Rajaonarimampianina at the State House of Iavoloha on Tuesday evening.
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However,
the situation remains tense with more demonstrations by the opposition
supporters planned in various regions from Thursday.
Some
73 opposition “MPs for Change” are leading their supporters in the
agitation for reforms and the removal of President Rajaonarimampianina
from power.
They were also planning to institute legal
proceedings against the government for the violent disruption of the
opposition demonstrations and rallies.
Lobby group
Amnesty International has urged the Malagasy authorities to investigate the recent deadly clampdown in the capital.
“Madagascar
has a legal obligation under international human rights law to respect,
protect, promote and fulfill the right of everyone to life,” said the
lobby group.
At the centre of the Madagascar crisis are
the proposed electoral laws the opposition believes were aimed at
locking out some candidates from the next presidential race.
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