UNITED
NATIONS, May 3
-- Following
up on its
previous
questions
about
Madagascar and
the UN's
seeming lack
of concern
about
restrictions
on
political
speech and
failure to
comply with
the SADC "road
map,"
Inner City
Press on
May 3 asked
the UN:
Inner
City Press:
Today was the
deadline for
candidates to
step forward
in
the elections.
It turns out
Mr. [Andry]
Rajoelina has
announced that
he is running,
which breaks a
promise and,
some say,
breaks the
road
map. He has
also denounced
the candidacy
of Lalao
Ravalomanana.
So,
I am
wondering: is
the UN
following
this, as the
last response
you
sent me said
that the road
map is being
complied with,
that there
are, there are
various ways,
including Mr.
Rajoelina
expressing an
opinion and
now running,
that the road
map is not
being
followed; it
seems to, some
is not being
followed. Is
there any
response from
the
UN today?
Spokesperson:
We’ll check
with DPA, with
the Department
of Political
Affairs.
Some
nine hours
later, the UN
sent Inner
City Press
this response:
Subject:
Your
question on
Madagascar
From: UN
Spokesperson -
Do Not Reply
[at] un.org
Date: Fri, May
3, 2013 at
9:16 P
To:
Matthew.Lee
[at]
innercitypress.com
We
can say the
following in
response to
your question
at the noon
briefing:
The
United Nations
has learned
today of Mr.
Rajoelina's
intention to
run
in the
election. We
are following
developments
in Madagascar
very
closely and
are concerned
about any
action that
could derail
the
progress made
in the efforts
to conduct
peaceful and
credible
elections in
the country.
The Southern
African
Development
Community
(SADC) is in
the lead and
their
mediation team
is currently
in
Madagascar.
The United
Nations will
continue to
work with the
regional
leaders and
the African
Union to help
Madagascar
address
whatever
problems may
emerge.
But
even before
Rajoelina made
his move, here
were some of
the problems:
First,
on April 29,
UN
spokesperson
Martin Nesirky
wrote to Inner
City Press
that “The
Malagasy
authorities
have been
complying with
the 2011
SADC Road
map”. However,
there are many
ways that the
Road map has
not been
complied with.
The
most obvious
is the
conditions
that were
put on Mrs.
Lalao
Ravalomanana
in order for
her to be able
to return
to her
country.
According to
the agreement,
Lalao
Ravalomanana
was
forced to
“refrain from
making
political
statements and
organize
political
rallies” in
exchange for
being allowed
to return to
her
country to see
her mother in
hospital. This
is proof that
Transitional
president
Andry
Rajoelina is
not complying
with Article
20 of the
roadmap which
states that
political
exiles will be
allowed
to return home
unconditionally...
The
UN has a
record of
support for
Rajoelina
dating back to
before the
Rajoelina’s
coup d’état
was finalized.
While the coup
was in
progress, the
UN
special envoy
publicly
voiced support
for the
provision of
diplomatic
protection for
Rajoelina.
Just a year
ago, the UN
collaborated
with
Rajoelina’s
minister of
communication
to celebrate
World Press
Freedom Day,
even as the minister
was criticized
for
detaining
journalists.
Ah,
World
Press Freedom
Day at the UN...
We'll have
more on this.
, 
