Press Release: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY: THE REPUBLIC OF MADAGASCAR

The alleged ".sentence in absentia." against his Excellency, President Marc Ravalomanana of the Republic of Madagascar, widely reported in themedia recently, is nothing else but a desperate attempt by the usurper, Andry Rajoelina, at justifying his violent overthrow of the lawfully elected government of the Republic of Madagascar.

Let there be no doubt that Rajoelina and his cohorts, in seizing power, did nothing less than affect a coup d'etat, in flagrant disregard of the wishes of the people of Madagascar, and their constitution. Rajoelina's conduct is indicative of the contempt with which the new unlawful regime regards the constitution of Madagascar, as well as its people.

It is a sacred principle of all respected legal systems the worldover that a defendant in a civil case or an accused in a criminal matter(as the case may be), be afforded the opportunity to put his defencebefore a court of law in answer to whatever claims or charges are brought against him. This includes, but is not limited to, the right to be fullyinformed of the nature of the case against him, to be granted time and opportunity to prepare presentation of such defence, and the opportunity to present his case on the appointed day of the hearing to court, free offear, threat and intimidation.

All this has been cynically brushed asideby the Rajoelina regime: President Ravalomanana has not been informed atany time before the alleged judgement that a case was being brought against him, nor what the nature of such case would be. He was not informed of the date when the hearing was to take place, and obviously not afforded the opportunity to prepare and present any defence to alegitimate court of law.

The present unlawful regime in Madagascar, by threat to the life and limb of the people, and intimidation of their institutions, including the judiciary, has brought the country to such apass that it would be impossible for President Ravalomanana to enter Madagascar and present a defence to claims made against him in his absence, according to the legal principles set out above. The alleged judgement is a sham.

No legitimate court of law would ordinarily pass judgement without hearing the defence, and without affording the defence an opportunity of presenting evidence before it. One cannot but conclude that the conduct of the Rajoelina regime is motivated by fear of a backlash by the people of Madagascar against it. The object is to alienate President Ravalomanana from the people ofMadagascar who over whelmingly support not only his government, but also his presidency, as demonstrated by the landslide victory he and his party obtained in the last election held in Madagascar.

To effect such alienation, they resort to blatant misrepresentations. They would have the world believe that President Ravalomanana had acquired an aircraft personally for his exclusive use, but paid for by the State: he is to bevilified for such extravagance. However, and there is no way of puttingthis mildly: the people are being lied to. The aircraft was acquired only after the prescribed procedure for such acquisition was duly completed.

The aircraft was not purchased or leased by the President personally, butby the State. The aircraft is not the property or an asset of PresidentRavalomanana. It is an asset of the State. Nor is the aircraft in the possession of President Ravalomanana, it is in Madagascar, in possession of the Rajoelina regime.

Press Contact: Henk Viljoen (Tel No. 011 998 7000)