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[Presenter] This is a crucial week which begins for Madagascar today [19 August]. The three candidates who are excluded from the presidential election by the Special Electoral Court [CES], Andry Rajoelina, Lalao Ravalomanana and Didier Ratsiraka, have until tomorrow evening to give substituted candidates. Then the CES will publish a final list of the candidates on Thursday [22 August] and the precise date for the elections could be known this week. The polls are likely to be held before the end of the year. [Tarabey] We are at the Democracy Square in the heart of Antananarivo. Over here, the statements of every Malagasy are all the same against the international community. That is to boycott the elections. For all of them the exclusion of Andry Rajoelina, Lalao Ravalomanana and Didier Ratsiraka is a bad sign.

[Froger] It is unexpected external support and hoped for by the three controversial candidates that was demonstrated by the USA. While the SADC [Southern African development Community], the African Union, France and the European Union jointly argue for the withdrawal of Andry Rajoelina, Lalao Ravalomanana and [Didier Ratsiraka] and while sanctions targeted at their close allies are being prepared, the USA is arguing for an election in which the 41 candidates whose papers were cleared by the very controversial Special Electoral Court.

Mme Ravalomanana added: 'It is true that we need to set a date for elections once and for all, and we welcome efforts by the ICG to help in that regard. But it is also true that it is for the people of Madagascar to choose who they would like to see as their leader in a free and fair election. I urge our friends of the ICG and African Union to trust the people of Madagascar. Imposing a list of candidates through threats and sanctions is not how democracy should work. A mediator from the SADC, former president of Mozambique Joaquim Chissano, will hold talks in Madagascar on July 9 to try to resolve issues surrounding the election. Mme Ravalomanana will call on him to allow the people of Madagascar to exercise their right to elect their own president. It is likely a firm election date will not be set until after these talks take place.

[[Anna Sylvestre]] Postponement of the elections is what Andry Rajoelina called for on Monday [27 May] by refusing to resign. This is also what the security forces advocated last week. The Special Electoral Court seems to have listened to them. This is a situation that it described as intractable. It contributed itself to creating it. Time is needed, it said, to continue the negotiations as none of the three disputed candidates, Andry Rajoelina, Lalao Ravalomanana and [Didier Ratsiraka], agreed to withdraw from the presidential race as demanded by the SADC [Southern African Development Community] and the African Union.

December 16, 2001: Madagascar, one of the world's poorest countries falls into chaos. The roots of this crisis are two men fighting to control disputed election results: Didier Ratsiraka, the incumbent president, and his foe, Marc Ravalomanana, the presidential candidate. For seven months, Madagascar is asphyxiated by this turmoil: barricades are set up, tortures take place and the crisis escalates into a true civil war. The political calamity ends in 2002 with the official recognition of Marc Ravalomanana by the United States. Ratsitraka flees the country, leaving behind an unimaginable humanitarian, political and economic catastrophe, whose consequences for the Malagasy people are still immeasurable.

[Presenter] Mr Tiebile Drame discussed only one issue at the Carlton Hotel yesterday. Progress has been made in the implementation of the Maputo accords. A prime minister of consensus has already been appointed, he said, before the meeting of the four main protagonists [transitional leader Andry Rajoelina, former presidents Marc Ravalomanana, Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy] abroad.

Yesterday, the international mediation noted some progress. Over 70 percent of the posts in the future institutions of the transition have been allocated. The most three important posts are yet to be shared, the key posts. Gregoire Pourtier, our special correspondent, summarizes the day. [Pourtier] By stressing that he also needs to keep the prime minister in his hand, Rajoelina has laid down unacceptable conditions for the three rival movements who have since Tuesday [25 August] ganged up to corner him.

[Presenter] In Madagascar, actors in the political crisis are expected to meet today under the mediation of the African Union. The AU submitted on Monday [25 May] a draft transitional charter stipulating what the four groups had, in theory, agreed on. Last weekend, the delegation representing former President Didier Ratsiraka suspended its participation at the negotiations. The AU envoy, Ablasse Ouedraogo, yesterday said Ratsiraka's delegation must come back to take its place at the negotiations table. [RFI Correspondent] Ghislaine Dupont:

Concerning \"medical equipment donated to the urban commune of Toamasina\" which is the cause of the search carried out at his residence, Roland Ratsiraka explained that the medical equipment was meant for the TTS (Toamasina Tonga Saina - Sensitized Toamasina, pro-[Didier Ratsiraka] during 2002 political crisis) which he founded. \"It is the association which imported the equipment thanks to partnership with an association of doctors in France for distribution to doctors in Toamasina,\" Roland Ratsiraka stressed. \"Therefore, there is no misappropriation as the investigators say,\" he said as he concluded on the issue.

[Ablasse Ouedraogo] When I take a look at what is happening in Madagascar currently, I think that the international community should assist the Malagasy people to find a peaceful and constitutional solution to the problem. That is, of course, the organisation of the election. Now, is it reasonable to continue challenging the three candidates? It is true that their candidatures do not observe the whole law, but the situation of the Malagasy people is such that after four years of crisis, it is better to search for a solution. We say that the solution is that with an excess of candidates, there is an excess because there are 41 candidates, it is sufficient to put the Malagasy people in charge, to have confidence in them and they will make good choice by themselves. Every people deserve their leaders and in the case of Madagascar, the choice is rather wide for three people to come and block the whole electoral process. [Ablasse Ouedraogo] No, I think that, as somebody said, signing an agreement is good. But what is better is implementing the agreement. We assisted the Malagasy people and on 6 November 2009, we ended the process. We had even started forming a government with Prime Minister Mangalaza. There were only five positions to be filled and we said well, for the purpose of the sovereignty of Madagascar, the politicians should discuss among themselves in Madagascar to complete the government. But unfortunately, as I am saying, in December 2009, the case was reopened. That was from 4 to 9 December, with a meeting called by the president of Mozambique, who asked the heads, the Malagasy political leaders, to come. Mr Rajoelina did not attend that meeting which abrogated the transitional charter and even removed the prime minister from office. That is the situation in which Madagascar finds itself. Unfortunately, the situation is deteriorating from bad to worse. This is what I deplore.