Madagascar has had its suspension lifted by regional organizations following the restoration of constitutional order in the Indian Ocean Island.
An Extra-Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government held on the sidelines of the just ended 22nd African Union Ordinary Session in Ethiopia lifted the suspension, paving the way for Madagascar to resume its participation in all SADC activities.
Madagascar was suspended from SADC in 2009 when the country slid into a political turmoil.
This was after opposition leader Andry Rajoelina seized power from then President Marc Ravalomanana in a public demonstration backed by the military, similar to the method used by Ravalomanana when he seized power a few years earlier from his predecessor, Didier Ratsiraka.
However, since the suspension in 2009, SADC has been at the forefront of mediation efforts to ensure constitutional order returned in Madagascar.
Former Mozambican leader Joacquim Chissano was appointed as the lead negotiator in peace talks between Ravalomanana and Rajoelina.
The appointment of Chissano, in June 2009 came a week after the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) suspended their mediation efforts, citing lack of political will by the two parties.
The organizations vowed never to recognize the Rajoelina regime and at one point even suggested military intervention to save millions of Malagasy citizens affected by the political situation in their country.
SADC mediation finally paid off at the end of 2013 when Madagascar successfully held presidential elections won by former finance minister Hery Rajaonarimampianina.
He defeated his rival, Jean Louis Robinson by 53.49 percent to 46.51 percent of the total votes.
Rajaonarimampianina, who needed a run-off to win after coming second in the first-round presidential election in October, was sworn in as democratically elected president on 25 January.
This was after the Madagascar Electoral Court declared him the president-elect following an initial protest by Robinson who claimed that the December run-off vote was rigged.
Robinson accepted the court ruling and attended the inauguration ceremony in the spirit of nation-building.
The elections were praised as peaceful and in conformity with regional standards and principles by observers from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU).
“The peaceful and calm environment created by the people and government for the success of the elections; professionalism of the CENIT staff, prompt accreditation of observers; readiness of CENIT to assist observers despite a heavy workload, political tolerance as well as freedom of association and expression during the electoral campaigns, use of information education and communication in voter and civic education use of translucent ballot boxes and assistance of voters with special needs, best democratic practices observed by SADC from the election s in Madagascar,” said Namibian Foreign Minister, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Nandi-Ndaitwah headed a 252-member SADC mission that observed the elections in Madagascar.
In a communiqué released after an SADC Extraordinary Summit in Ethiopia on 30 January, southern African leaders expressed satisfaction at political developments in Madagascar that led to the successful holding of elections in the island nation.
The SADC leaders congratulated Rajaonarimampianina and welcomed his pledge towards national reconciliation and socio-economic recovery.
Noting the progress in resolving constitutional order in Madagascar, they invited the country to rejoin SADC and resume its participation in all SADC activities.
“Summit, in view of the restoration of constitutional order in the country, lifted the suspension on Madagascar and invited the country to immediately resume its participation in all SADC activities,” read part of the communiqué.
The lifting of the sanctions on Madagascar is a significant development for the country after several years in isolation.
The AU also lifted its sanctions on Madagascar in January.
SADC Executive Secretary, Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax said the 15-member group endorsed the elections in Madagascar and was satisfied with the democratic processes.
“SADC appeals to the African Union, the United Nations and other similar bodies to welcome the positive steps that Madagascar has made through the recent peaceful, transparent and fair elections and to spare no effort at ensuring that democracy and the rule of law are enhanced in the southern Africa,” Tax told the AU Peace and Security Council. With the return of Madagascar to SADC, the country is expected to benefit from a number of projects being implemented by the region.
These include an ambitious US$64-billion programme to develop cross-border infrastructure in six priority areas of energy, transport, tourism, water, information communication technology and meteorology.
Other joint programmes are in the tourism sector where the region is targeting the establishment of a single visa for all Member States.
Tourism is the backbone of the Malagasy economy, and such a regional initiative will go a long way in luring more tourists to the Indian Ocean Island.
