Citizens of Madagascar are questioning the rationale behind a former president's call for a boycott of President Andry Rajoelina's new "government of national unity."
Former Madagascar President Didier Ratsiraka called for a strike action against the new government, telling Malagasies to stand up for their rights.
Opponents of embattled President Rajoelina have also accused him of undermining the recently signed Maputo power sharing agreement mediated by Mozambique's former President Joachim Chissano.
Under the agreement the positions of president and prime minister for the transition period are to be decided by consensus.
Journalist Guilo Ramilison, who covers Madagascar for the Voice of America said that Malagasies are tired of the political stalemate.
"The Malagasy people are fed up with all these political things happening now when we want things to move on. And the thing is that there are too many actors in the play, especially from those from abroad," Ramilison said.
He said the former president announced on radio his objection to the unity government.
"An hour before the announcement of the new government, the former president who has been there (abroad) for ages, he said we have to react against the new government," he said.
Ramilison said ousted President Marc Ravalomanana stifled businesses.
"We should have in mind that we had seven years of dictatorship... how could we accept that the president …strangled every businessman. He wanted to have the whole business in Madagascar," Ramilison said.
He said the country's leadership pretends to work for the ordinary Malagasy.
"When they are away from the throne, they become the angel, (but) when they are in, they are the ones that apply dictatorship," he said.
Ramilison said Malagasies welcomed an agreement to resolve the political crisis.
"The Maputo agreement (is two-fold), Maputo One and Maputo Two. Maputo One, everybody applauded it. Everybody liked it because (it) was a new solution. But then when it really came to sharing the seats, then we knew the real face of our politicians," Ramilison said.
Meanwhile, three former presidents have unanimously rejected what they describe as Rajoelina's unilateral move with the new "unity government".
Ex-presidents Didier Ratsiraka, Albert Zafy and Marc Ravalomanana contend that the formation of the new government sharply violates last month's Maputo power-sharing deal.
