Madagascar reconciliation bid secures political prisoner release

Antananarivo (AFP) - Madagascar's president and four of his predecessors met for the first time Friday in a bid to restore national unity that quickly produced a pledge to free the country's political prisoners.

The summit over the long string of political crises that has blighted the Indian Ocean island also generated a promise by Madagascar's current president to review the house arrest of one of the participating ex-leaders.

The four former presidents who attended the meeting were Albert Zafy, Didier Ratsiraka, Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina.

They were joined by the current President Hery Rajaonarimampianina at a hotel near Ivato international airport, on the outskirts of the capital Antananarivo.

The closed-door talks were held at the behest of the Malagasy Christian Council of Churches, which said sufficient progress had been made Friday for another meeting to be planned for January 13 to continue the work.

"In the public interest and that of social harmony," declared Council president Mgr. Samoelijaona Ranarivelo, participants had achieved "progress towards national reconciliation."

Given the considerable distrust between some participants, the initial results of the discussions were almost as remarkable as the meeting taking place at all.

One of the ex-leaders, Ravalomanana, ousted by Rajoelina in a 2009 coup, has been under house arrest in a northern town of Antsiranana (also known as Diego Suarez) since returning from exile in South Africa in October.

He was flown in for the talks under military escort, and had met with President Rajaonarimampianina earlier in the week.

According to Mgr. Ranarivelo's statement Friday, Rajaonarimampianina agreed to review the house arrest of Ravalomanana, who was placed under detention after publicly questioning the democratic legitimacy of the current government.

Madagascar's roughly dozen political prisoners are to be released before the year's end, though those ex-soldiers who staged mutinies against previous governments will still face trial for their acts.

National reconciliation is one of the main points of a roadmap brokered by the southern African regional bloc SADC, and signed by the feuding parties in 2011 to end political crises that have long plagued the country.

Former finance minister Rajaonarimampianina became president in elections held a year ago. That vote was designed to resolve a crisis that brought international isolation and trashed the Malagasy economy.