Madagascar: A tale of two presidents

A new president but old problems and rivalries remain

By Jonny Donovan BBC reporter in Antananarivo

Even before six o'clock in the morning, long lines of enthusiastic people had already gathered outside the Mahamasina National Stadium decked in striking colours of Madagascar's national flag.

For his supporters, Marc Ravalomanana's second inauguration as president was billed as an event even more spectacular than February's affair.

Why doesn't the international community want to fully recognise out president? What then is the point of having an international community at all?

Fara Raveloson, shopkeeper

Mr Ravalomanana claimed victory in last December's elections, although official results said that neither candidate had won outright.

Last week, a recount gave the self-made millionaire and mayor of the capital 51% of the vote.

But other than pomp and ceremony, Monday's flashy event offered no concrete hope in solving the Indian Ocean island's complex predicament.

Away from Mahamasina Stadium, the economic barricades, recently reinforced, continued to wreak havoc on the already crippled Madagascar economy.

Economists estimate that some $14m in revenue continue to be being lost daily.

Jubilant celebrations

Didier Ratsiraka, the incumbent president, dismissed the ceremony - the second time Mr Ravalomanana has been sworn in since December's vote - as a second coup d'etat.

To coincide with the ceremony, Mr Ratsiraka held a special meeting of his government which is now in exile at Tamatave in the east of the island.

Mr Ratsiraka's refusal to recognise Mr Ravalomanana as president has in part fuelled the secession of four of the country's provinces, under the control of men fiercely loyal to the incumbent president, who has ruled for more than 25 years.

In spite of the hardships and the suffering brought about by the four-month crisis, the size of Monday's crowd only illustrated that Mr Ravalomanana's popularity had only marginally dwindled.

But animosity towards the incumbent had clearly increased - at least among Mr Ravalomanana's support.

Ravalomanana enjoys massive support in the capital

High Councillor Mananjara, the leading member of the nation's controversial High Constitutional Court, was the man who one week ago proclaimed Mr Ravalomanana the winner of the December presidential elections.

On Monday, he was on hand to place the presidential colours around the shoulders of a beaming Mr Ravalomanana.

Then, the crowd's impatient hush erupted into the chaotic sounds of jubilant celebration.

The jostling crowd included military personnel, magistrates, members of high society, choir singers, nuns and tens of thousands of jubilant supporters, straining to see the goings on upon the presidential podium.

International community

But the absence of many European ambassadors told a different story.

The foreign diplomats' snub came after Senegalese President Abdouyae Wade called yet another meeting in Dakar between the rivals in the hope of finally persuading them to hold a referendum.

So the international community might now seem to have finally begun to recognise Mr Ravalomanana as the new president of the republic, but it is clearly hesitating to fully support him.

"This has to be the end," says 27-year-old Fara Raveloson, a shopkeeper in Antananrivo.

"We did the election recount in accordance with the Dakar accord, and Ravalomanana was found to be the winner.

"So why now doesn't the international community want to fully recognise our president?

"What then is the point of having an international community at all?"

Ratsiraka does not recognise his rival's victory

This is a view shared by many supporters of Mr Ravalomanana.

But the real effects of the current crisis are perhaps the least readily visible and even less talked about.

High prices for medicine and other health services stop ordinary people getting medical help and many parents cannot afford to send their children to school any more.

Bread prices have shot up in price while loaves have shrunk in size, meaning many shops have simply stopped stocking the staple food.

Black market

Many imported goods simply aren't available any more in Antanananrivo's sprouting supermarkets.

And the spectre of unemployment continues to sweep Antananarivo.

Tens of thousands of people have lost their jobs as struggling companies continue to lay off staff.

Tourism and textiles, once the island's two fastest growing industries, are now the two hardest hit by the continuation of the economic barricades and the increasing doubts of foreign investors.

These and other problems are compounded by the continuing shortage of petrol that has forced petrol prices up.

To buy a litre of petrol, which currently costs about 30,000 Madagascan francs (about $5), you have to track down one of the capital's hidden black market petrol houses where you pay in cash and don't bother asking for a receipt.

Given the current stand-off, this kind of suffering in Madagascar will only continue to get worse.