ITALY NOT READY TO RECOGNIZE RAVALOMANANA AS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003328 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2002 TAGS: PREL PGOV MA IT UN SUBJECT: ITALY NOT READY TO RECOGNIZE RAVALOMANANA AS PRESIDENT OF MADAGASCAR REF: STATE 119427 CLASSIFIED BY: A/POL M/C GARY ROBBINS FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. IN RESPONSE TO OUR JUNE 27 DEMARCHE ASKING CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 03328 090150Z THAT ITALY ACCEPT RAVALOMANANA AS PRESIDENT OF MADAGASCAR, THE GOI PROVIDED A NUANCED STATEMENT INDICATING THAT IT IS NOT YET CONVINCED THAT RAVALOMANANA CAN BE CONSIDERED THE CONSTITUTIONALLY-ELECTED PRESIDENT. THE GOI CITES THE FACT THAT NEITHER THE OAU NOR THE EU HAS YET RECOGNIZED HIM AS SUCH. AFTER A COMING EU WORKING GROUP MEETING, THE GOI WILL PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE UNION'S POSITION, TO WHICH ITS OWN WILL CONFORM. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) A/POLMINCOUNS TRANSMITTED REFTEL DEMARCHE JUNE 27 TO BRUNO CABRAS, THE MFA'S DIRECTOR GENERAL (ASSISTANT SECRETARY-EQUIVALENT) FOR SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN AFFAIRS. ON SIPDIS JULY 2, MR. CABRAS PROVIDED THE GOI'S REPLY. INFORMAL TRANSLATION FOLLOWS. ¶3. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT. FOREWORD THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR ITS JUNE 27TH STATEMENT. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE WILLINGNESS OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TO RECOGNIZE PRESIDENT RAVALOMANANA, AS STATED ALSO IN THE RECENT LETTER BY PRESIDENT BUSH. AS A GENERAL RULE, ITALY DOES NOT FORMALLY RECOGNIZE GOVERNMENTS BUT RATHER STATES. MOREOVER, WE DO NOT CONSIDER THAT THE RECOGNITION STATEMENT ESTABLISHES INTERNATIONAL LEGAL STATUS. OAU POSITION CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ROME 03328 090150Z WE TOOK NOTE OF THE STATEMENT RECENTLY ISSUED BY THE MAIN OAU CONFLICT MANAGEMENT BODY WHICH, AFTE MAKING REFERENCE TO THE AGREEMENTS REACHED DURIN THE TWO DAKAR MEETINGS, EMPHASIZES THE NEED TO ROCEED WITH NEW PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS AND TO DEELOP TEMPORARY INSTITUTIONS AGREEABLE TO BOTH PARTES. IN THIS STATEMENT, THE PRINCIPLES OF THE UNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF MADAGASCAR ARE RESSERTED, AS WELL AS THE PRINCIPLE OF NON-ACCEPTACE OF ANY CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT MADE IN VIOLATIONOF THE CONSTITUTIONAL NORMS OF A COUNTRY. FINALL, THE STATEMENT ASSERTS THAT THE DECEMBER 16, 2001 ELECTIONS IN MADAGASCAR DID NOT LEAD TO THE ESTABISHMENT OF A LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT AND THAT NEITER RAVALOMANANA NOR RATSIRAKA IS ADMITTED AS THECOUNTRY,S REPRESENTATIVE AT THE OAU. ITALIAN OSITION AS A GENERAL RULE, WE GIVE FULL CONSIDERATION TO OAU RESOLUTIONS ON MAJOR ISSUES CONCERNING THE AFRICAN CONTINENT. WE ALSO APPRECIATE THE NECESSITY OF PREVENTING A FURTHER DETERIORATION OF THE SITUATION AND OF CONTAINING THE VIOLENCE SPREADING IN MADAGASCAR. HOWEVER, WE BELIEVE THAT THE PRINCIPLE OF CONSTITUTIONAL LEGITIMACY, WHICH IS THE BASIS OF CIVIL COEXISTENCE AND ONE OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE OAU (1999 OAU SUMMIT IN ALGIERS),SHOULD BE SAFEGUARDED AS WELL. AT THE MADAGASCAR NATIONAL DAY, WHICH TOOK PLACE JUNE 26, ITALY WAS REPRESENTED BY ITS HONORARY CONSUL GENERAL IN ANTANANARIVO, IN SPITE OF ITS DECISION NOT TO SEND A CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 ROME 03328 090150Z EUROPEAN UNION POSITION THE POSITION OF ITALY WILL COMPLY WITH THAT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. FOR OUR PART, WE WILL HELP DRAFT THE UNION,S POSITION DURING THE FORTHCOMING AFRICAN WORKING GROUP MEETING, WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR JULY 9 AND 10. AFTER THAT MEETING, WE WILL INFORM YOU OF ANY EUROPEAN DECISION TAKEN. END TEXT. SEMBLER CONFIDENTIAL > 2002ROME03328 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL