Iran welcomes pact to end political chaos in Madagascar

Tehran, April 25, IRNA -- Iran on Wednesday welcomed a reconciliation pact signed last week to end political dispute between veteran President Didier Ratsiraka and his rival Marc Ravalomanana over the outcome of December's presidential elections in Madagascar.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamidreza Asefi invited the two rivals to commit themselves to the requirements of the pact which they signed in the Senegalese capital Dakar last Thursday.

He hoped "security, peace and liveliness" will prevail in the "political, economic and cultural arenas" of Madagascar, "so that the wise Malagasy nation could benefit from their country's burgeoning under the perpetuation of democracy."

Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana agreed last week to a recount of the disputed vote and that an internationally supervised referendum to be held if no clear winner emerged in the island of 15 million. Ravalomanana declared himself as president after he accused Ratsiraka's supporters of vote-rigging in the December poll. The popular mayor of capital Antananarivo also set up an alternative administration.

The backers of Ratsiraka, who has ruled Madagascar for five years since a coup in 1975, erected roadblocks around Antananarivo in response.

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