RAVALOMANANA CAMP APPEALS FOR USG STATEMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MAPUTO 000965

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL MZ MA
SUBJECT: RAVALOMANANA CAMP APPEALS FOR USG STATEMENT

REF: A. ANTANANARIVO 604

B. ANTANANARIVO 596

C. ANTANANARIVO 589

D. MAPUTO 960

E. MAPUTO 896

Classified By: A/DCM Matthew Roth, Reasons 1.4(b+d)


1. (C) Mauritian High Commissioner Georges Alain Laridon
called the Embassy on August 27 to say that Prega Ramsamy,
Special Advisor to deposed Malagasy President Marc
Ravalomanana, wanted to pass a message to the USG. Ramsamy,
a Mauritian national and former SADC Executive Secretary,
told PolOff late that same evening that the Maputo II talks
had stalled on the central issue of the presidency of the
transitional government. According to Ramsamy,
Ravalomanana's camp cannot agree to have Rajoelina as
President, as it would be acknowledging and validating a
coup, and runs against the will of the Malagasy people. He
also asked the USG to make a public statement in support of
constitutional democracy and to consider cancelling trade
preferences with Madagascar.

--------------
ANYONE BUT RAJOELINA
--------------


2. (C) In the August 27 meeting, Ramsamy passed PolOff a
written statement (sent via email to AF/E, AF/S and Embassy
Antananarivo) by Ravalomanana addressed to all in attendance
at the Maputo II negotiations stating that the deposed
president agreed not to personally participate in the
management of the transition; however, the will of the
Malagasy people should be respected, and the presidency of
the transitional government should return to the Ravalomanana
movement. Ramsamy and other advisors told PolOff that
Ravalomanana would be willing to back down from this demand
however, and would accept "anyone but Rajoelina" at the head
of the transitional government.

--------------
FRENCH MEDDLING
--------------


3. (C) Ramsamy also called on the United States to make a
public statement on Madagascar in support of a return to
constitutional democracy in Madagascar. He said that
Ravalomanana expressed grave concerns about the continued
French presence in the corridors of the Maputo II talks, and
stating that an unnamed French representative from Quai
d'Orsay at the talks was putting extreme pressure on the
Ratsiraka, Zafy, and Ravalomanana movements to accept
Rajoelina as the president of the transitional government.
Ambassador Laridon also claimed to PolOff of "French
meddling" in Malagasy affairs, referencing French support of
the military coup which installed Rajoelina. Ramsamy
suggested that a public U.S. statement would counterbalance
private French pressure in support of Rajoelina.

--------------
STOP AGOA, PRESSURE RAJOELINA
--------------


4. (C) Ramsamy said that Ravalomanana also urged the United
States to halt AGOA trade preferences, as AGOA would only
prop up the French-supported Rajoelina regime. Ramsamy
argued that ending AGOA benefits to Madagascar would serve to
level the playing field and put significant pressure on
Rajoelina to compromise with the other parties in the "Big
Four." PolOff indicated to Ramsamy that these messages would
be conveyed to Washington, but reiterated that doing so
should not be seen as tacit agreement with Ravalomanana,s
position or support for his requests.

-------------- -
COMMENT: MAURITIANS ALLIGNED WITH RAVALOMANANA
-------------- -


5. (C) As of midnight on August 27, the Malagasy parties in
the Maputo II talks had not agreed to the key issue of the
presidency of the transitional government. The Ravalomanana
camp with its Mauritian backers appear to be keenly
interested in counter-balancing French pressure to reach a
compromise. All sides seem to think that a successful
resolution of the issue of the presidency would likely mean

MAPUTO 00000965 002 OF 002


the return of international aid flows to Madagascar--albeit
strengthening the position of whichever party controls the
transitional government. In any case, Ravalomanana's
advisors appeared pessimistic that such an agreement could be
reached.
CHAPMAN