It is often
said that things always come in threes. Indeed, this is
the third time that I have had the privilege to address
the Assembly as President of the Transition of the
Republic of Madagascar. Here we are again, convening
as we do every year for the General Assembly. All
the leaders of the planet meet regularly to debate,
exchange views and share their experiences within the
framework of a process of consultations that belongs
to a long collective march towards peace, security and
sustainable planetary development. But each year, new,
ever more violent and more lethal conflicts are waged,
requiring that we respond with equal intensity. Shall
we limit ourselves to simply speaking about conflict
resolution, or shall we to challenge ourselves, analyse
the underlying causes and take the necessary measures
to preserve stability in the world?
As I add my voice to those who have spoken before
me, I warmly congratulate the President on the votes
that he won in support of his candidacy. Madagascar
will endeavour to provide him its sincere support and
cooperation.
Regrettably, over recent decades, when we speak
of Africa, we generally see States that are exposed
to permanent violence and the progressive loss of
democracy, States where wars, conflicts and crises
continually break out and there is more division than
consensus. According to Ambassador Jeremi., who
presided at the sixty-seventh session of the General
Assembly, humankind is facing an existential crisis,
with symptoms such as economic instability, social
inequalities and environmental degradation.
For my part, I would add that humankind may be
losing its forward momentum but that it is not giving
up. Yes, the news delivered by the media every day is
extremely worrying throughout the world. Whether the
country is developed, emerging or poor, no segment of
society escapes deterioration of various kinds, including
poor employment conditions, unemployment, declining
purchasing power, the total absence of any income at
all, lack of access to basic necessities in food, clothing,
health care and education, and, in addition, poverty,
deprivation and indigence. Those are all factors that
are the nurturing ground for intolerance, confrontation
and conflict, thereby helping to give rise to global
insecurity. I refer here particularly to recent events in
Kenya, Iraq, Pakistan and Syria, to name just a few. We
fully share in the pain and sorrow of the families of the
victims.
Some 800 days from the deadline of 2015, like
most African States and many developing countries,
Madagascar is finding it difficult to attain all the
Millennium Development Goals, despite the efforts
everyone has made. Given that situation, I have to
wonder what sort of contribution we, the leaders of our
nations, can make individually to that collective effort,
with a view to finding ways of improving the daily lives
of those who have put their trust in us and placed their
destiny in our hands.
In his statement yesterday (see A/68/PV.5),
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the fact that,
in streets and squares across the world, people are
pressing those in power. They want world leaders to
listen. They want to know that we are doing everything
we can to secure a life of dignity for all. The popular
unrest in the context of the Arab Spring and the
movements of the outraged exemplify this observation
and reflect a legitimate aspiration. I fully support the
Secretary-General’s remarks and call upon all of us to
ensure that we clearly understand the demands of the
demonstrators.
Madagascar would also have wished to benefit
from such understanding when the Malagasy people
rose up against an unpopular regime to demand a better
life through the establishment of genuine change. But
that was not the case. On the contrary, Madagascar
encountered misunderstanding and the inflexibility of
an international community operating at various speeds,
not to mention the application of dogmatic texts, even
though popular uprisings elsewhere, in very similar
circumstances, had been viewed sympathetically and
with concern.
Efforts must therefore now be made to end the
unequal treatment of countries in crisis. We must
become aware of popular aspirations and realities on
the ground so as not to take the wrong decision. If it
is valid elsewhere, surely it is also valid in the case of
Madagascar?
All the conditions were in place in Madagascar.
The danger of a social explosion and a fratricidal
conflict was omnipresent, but fortunately — unlike
some countries that continue to experience unrest and
even armed violence, and despite all the economic
and social restrictions and the absence of support and
assistance from the international community from
which Madagascar has suffered in recent years — the
people of Madagascar did not fall into the trap of internal
conflict, which some would have taken advantage of.
It is with great national pride that I announce
from this rostrum that Madagascar was able to avoid
civil war. That required considerable sacrifice, self-
denial and humility, but we came through thanks
to our patriotism. I reiterate the fact that despite our
disagreements and our different points of view, we have
reached a settlement of our conflict using all available
negotiation methods. I would like to solemnly thank the
Malagasy people, who are a peaceful people and aspire
to peace and whose courage and patience have been
unmatched in the peaceful settlement of our political
crisis.
The Malagasy people deserve a better future.
Citizens will be able to freely express their choices
on their future leader through the ballot box at the
upcoming presidential elections, scheduled to take
place on 25 October this year, for which the electoral
campaign began yesterday.
Madagascar is now starting a new phase in its
history. I would like to warmly thank all those who,
throughout the process of Madagascar’s emergence
from its crisis, supported and assisted us during the
transition period, in particular, the Southern African
Development Community (SADC), the various
presidents of the SADC Troika, the African Union, the
European Union, the United Nations, the Organization
of Islamic Cooperation, the International Organization
of la Francophonie, and all friendly countries without
exception, without forgetting those who have already
demonstrated their willingness to provide international
observers for the elections. At the same time, I would
like to renew my appeal to the entire General Assembly
to join the ranks of our partners.
We are at a crossroads. The people expect specific
and tangible results. The question is, do we have the
courage and the wisdom to sacrifice ourselves for the
well-being of our people and to avoid conflict and civil
war, so that innocent people do not lose their lives, so
that those who are in power no longer use weapons and
so that no one resorts to violence?
As a leader, I realize that the exercise of power
requires an awareness of our humanity and our
fallibility. That is the message that Madagascar would
like convey as its contribution to this general debate
today. The world is changing very quickly, a new
generation is rising to replace the old one, and leaders
have the duty to meet the expectations of our people
and to find a solution to ensure their well-being.
In my case, I did everything I could to overcome
the political crisis in Madagascar and maintain national
unity and the best interests of the Malagasy people.
I also decided that I will not be a candidate in the
upcoming presidential elections. It is on that note, and
with the well-known words of American theologian
and writer James Freeman Clarke, that I would like to
conclude: “A politician thinks of the next election. A
statesman, of the next generation.”