Parliamentary Assembly, Louis Michel and David Matongo
Declaration on the situation in Madagascar by the co-presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, Louis Michel and David Matongo Budapest, 17 May 2011
On the eve of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit, Louis Michel and David Matongo, co-Presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly call for the establishment of a neutral transitional government, which should be inclusive and consensual. One of its objectives should be to launch an independent and transparent electoral process leading to democratic elections under the supervision of the international community which are necessary for the sustainable return to constitutional order.
„We still witness a stalemate in Madagascar. The country is still ruled by an unelected regime. It is urgent to find a final solution to the crisis which requires the prior establishment of a transition, based on truly neutral, inclusive and consensual set of criteria as proposed by the three main political groupings in the country and being considered by the SADC at the very moment.
Credibility, including the lawfulness of the electoral process, implies that all political movements can take part in elections, freely and unconditionally. The election under these conditions of the next President of the Republic of Madagascar will mark the return to constitutional order and institutional normality. This has been consistently advocated by the international community and, especially by SADC, under the mediation of the former President of Mozambique, Mr Joaquim Chissano, in its decision of 30 March 2009 and confirmed on 31 March 2011.
The Joint Parliamentary Assembly would welcome this process as the European Union could resume the mutually fruitful cooperation with Madagascar for the benefit of its population, after a gap of more than two years imposed by a unilateralist regime – the current Malagasy unconstitutional government – which disrespects constitutional, democratic and fundamental rights.
