France Calls Madagascar's Ravalomanana President

By Fiona O'Brien

ANTANANARIVO (Reuters 03.07.2002) - Former colonial power France called Madagascar's Marc Ravalomanana "President of the Republic" on Wednesday, in effect joining the United States in recognizing his disputed claim to be head of state.

The move adds significant momentum to Ravalomanana in his six-month-old power struggle with his rival Didier Ratsiraka, the veteran ruler who for weeks has been losing territorial control of the island to Ravalomanana's followers.

A communique issued by the French embassy, detailing four aid agreements signed by visiting French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin and Ravalomanana's administration, said:

"The first of these projects...concerns the development of Antananarivo, a project which the President of the Republic, in his former capacity as mayor of the capital, has always shown great interest."

Ravalomanana, a 52-year-old millionaire businessman, said after talks with de Villepin that France's decision to work with his government was tantamount to official recognition.

"We could not work together without French recognition of the republic of Madagascar," Ravalomanana told reporters.

"The French government is ready to help us get this country back on its feet quickly, to reconstruct this country which has been devastated by the crisis."

Ravalomanana has been fighting for the presidency of the Indian Ocean island against Ratsiraka since disputed December elections. He was declared president in May after a recount of the polls, but Ratsiraka, 65, refused to accept the result and still claims to be the rightful ruler.

The United States was the first world power to recognize Ravalomanana as legal president last week.

De Villepin signed four aid accords with Ravalomanana's Foreign Affairs Minister Marcel Ranjeva and said afterwards:

"If I am here today in Madagascar it is to express personally to the Madagascan people and all of those responsible for national reconciliation the friendship, solidarity and loyalty of France."

French officials declined to comment when pressed by reporters to say whether the statement and de Villepin's visit amounted to formal recognition of Ravalomanana's government.

But Ranjeva said he considered de Villepin's signature of the accords a step toward full recognition. "He is the first minister from a foreign government to come here officially and sign an agreement. To me that's a big symbol," Ranjeva said.

VILLEPIN BOOED

Analysts say it is only a matter of time before Ravalomanana is fully in charge of the island of 16 million people. The British and German ambassadors attended the signing ceremony on Wednesday, along with the European Union ( news - web sites) representative.

German ambassador Peter Heinz Behr said relations between his country and Madagascar had been normalized. "We are working with the government in place," he said without elaborating.

France last month posed a problem for Ravalomanana by backing a call made by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) for fresh elections. The call was supported by Ratsiraka as it enabled him to keep alive his power struggle with Ravalomanana.

On Monday, Ratsiraka reiterated his call for fresh elections or a referendum to choose between the rivals -- a proposal that Ravalomanana has rejected since the crisis began.

On Tuesday night, Ravalomanana announced plans to bring two members of Ratsiraka's Arema party into his government and to hold parliamentary elections on an unspecified date, moves intended to satisfy French demands for a government of national reconciliation.

Villepin was greeted with boos as he drove up to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in central Antananarivo. Many Madagascans are angry that their former colonial masters have been slow to recognize Ravalomanana, who they say was cheated out of victory in the December polls.

France has until now officially backed neither man, but is seen in Madagascar as sympathetic to Ratsiraka, a former admiral who has ruled the island for more than 20 years.

One man stood outside the building waving a poster calling for the French to leave the island.

"We have had enough of the French government," he said to applause from several onlookers. "What they have done until now is to treat us as outcasts. Even if Villepin accepts Ravalomanana now, that doesn't do anything."