Madagascar on Bike - Antananarivo - Madagascar

17.09.2011 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14960572

Madagascar leaders sign deal for elections

Political leaders in Madagascar have signed an agreement paving the way for elections to be held within a year to re-establish democracy on the island.

The deal allows the return of exiled leader Marc Ravalomanana, who was overthrown in 2009 by current president Andre Rajoelina in an army-backed coup.

The South African Development Community, which suspended Madagascar after the coup, helped broker the deal.

The Indian Ocean island has been beset by instability for several years.

It was isolated by the international community after the coup - European Union donors froze aid and it was also suspended from the African Union.

But South Africa's deputy Foreign Minister, Marius Franzman, presided over the signing ceremony in Madagascar's capital, Antananarivo.

The plan, which was agreed by a group of eight political parties, leaves Mr Rajoelina in charge of a transitional authority until elections scheduled for March next year.

Marc Ravalomanana, currently in exile in South Africa, will be allowed to return to participate in the transition. His representatives say he is willing to compromise.

August 7th, 2011 - Unluckily there is no progress on the political front, Andry Rajoelina wants to hold regional elections, while the other political forces would prefer to talk about questions like amnestie for political prisoners and exiled persons or the position of the opposition. A "Feuille de route" is to be signed shortly, but there is no agreement about its content.

Air Madagascar has asked Air Italy to operate its flights to and from France, after their two Boeing 767 have been banned from Eu - airspace, due to lack of maintenance. One of the planes has already been returned to the owner, while the other operates their flights to Bangkok and China. The president of the HAT has announced these days that a new plane will arrive within one month time, but has given no further details. One likes to switch from Boing to airbus as supplier, but the question how to raise the money needed remains without answer.

March 26th, 2011: From our point of view, the closest nuclear power plant can be found in Koeborg, close to Cape Town, South Africa, about 2000 miles away, which is also the only one in the whole of Africa.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koeberg_Nuclear_Power_Station

March 26th, 2011:  New national unity government appointed in Madagascar

ANTANANARIVO — Madagascar's Prime Minister Camille Vital Saturday appointed a new government of "national unity transition" in an effort to resolve the two-year long crisis in the country.

There are few surprises in the composition of the new administration, made up of 32 ministers, of whom eight are already in office.

The vast island nation has been in political limbo since opposition leader Andry Rajoelina toppled president Marc Ravalomanana with the army's backing on March 17, 2009 but failed to muster the domestic and foreign backing necessary to set up an internationally recognised transitional government.

Rajoelina dismissed previous deals brokered by the African Union and the Southern African Development Community to share power with the man he ousted and two other ex-presidents, and his own plans to form a unity government have been rejected by his opponents.

The latest bid by the southern Africa bloc saw Rajoelina and several small political groupings initial a deal on March 8 calling for the appointment of a consensus prime minister to head a unity government.

Rajoelina's re-appointment earlier this month of Vital, who resigned last week under the latest deal, sparked criticism by some opponents, but the strongman said he had sufficiently consulted.

The new government is supposed to mirror all the political groups that signed up to a roadmap proposed by international mediators.

Vital said it should "act as a caretaker administration and head with all speed to the elections."

The three movements associated with former presidents are not in the new government though a younger brother of one has a ministerial job.

January, 30th, 2011: I have lost my web site recently and had to put a backup online, so entries here from 2010 and before have been lost. But we are still here, dispite our political crisis, bikes are available.

There also seems to be a problem with my english translations, which are not where they should be. Will look into that when I find some time.

October, 10th, 2009: After completely redoing our web site using the free CMS Joomla, translations from german into english and french have started. This work does not require retranslations of all text, but its verification and actualisation.

Ok, for all those, who do not know yet: We, Madagascar on Bike, are renting motor bikes, Honda Transalps, for touristic tours on the main roads of Madagascar. These pages here will provide you with a wide variety of informations. But if there are more questions, simply contact us.

During the first days of october, we have seen here some progress in finding a solution to come out of the crisis following the assault to power by TGV earlier in march. Some progress has been made, but we still need to see a consensual goverment in place that can organize all neccessary elections.