MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Madagascar
14.11.2017 - (2017/2963(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure
Elena Valenciano, Victor Boştinaru, Soraya Post, Boris Zala son behalf of the S&D Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0641/2017
The European Parliament,
-having regard to its previous resolutions on Madagascar, notably those of 7 May 2009 11 February 2010, and that of 9 June 2011 on the situation in Madagascar,
-having regard to Concluding Observations of the UN HRC on Periodic Review the ICCPR, 4th on Madagascar 2017,
-having regard to WHO statement of 2 November 2017, on recent plague outbreak in Madagascar,
-having regard to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Extraordinary Summit on Madagascar of 20 May 2011 and the roadmap proposed by the mediation team of the SADC after lifting of sanctions on Madagascar by the EU, the African Union and also by the SADC,
-having regard to the Constitution of Madagascar,
-having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights signrd by Madagascar in 1969 and ratified in 1971,
-having regard to United Nations International Charter of Human Rights,
-having regard to the revised Cotonou Agreement 2010,
-having regard to Rule 135 of its Rules of Procedure
A. Whereas Madagascar has suffered from economic instability in recent years as a direct result of a 2009 coup, which saw the ouster of then President Marc Ravalomanana brought about Rajoelina, the former mayor of Antananarivo, acting as the unelected head of state and of the High Transitional Authority (HAT);
B. whereas Madagascar is one of the world’s poorest countries and has had a negative growth of GDP in the last year; with an external debt of almost 3 billion US dollars; whereas according to a UN report, in the last two years 77 % of the population have been living on less than 1.25 dollars a day and according to a US Congress report Madagascar’s infant mortality rate is over 5% and three-quarters of the population is living in rural areas;
C. whereas the failure of the country to meet election deadlines under a power-sharing agreement caused Western nations to withdraw financial aid, further impoverishing its 22.6 million inhabitants in 2009; whereas presidential election in principle should be due next year, although no timetable is set yet; whereas serving President Hery Rajaonarimampianina is showing increasing signs of failure of the country to meet election deadlines
D. whereas the persistent political instability which has prevailed since the coup d'état has placed Madagascar in a precarious position from the socioeconomic, humanitarian and human rights point of view with economy decline, unemployment, food, insecurity, crime and corruption are on the rise;
E. Whereas on 30 Jan, 2014 at an extra-ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of state and Government, SADC also lifted Madagascar’s suspension following the Peace and Security Council of the AU decision on 27 January, 2014 to lift the suspension on Madagascar;
F. whereas following an unelected administration which governed Madagascar for five years following a 2009 coup; whereas the country has made some progress toward democratic consolidation in 2015 to return to electoral politics through presidential, parliamentary, and municipal election;
G. whereas the European Union on 19 May, 2014 resumed development-aid programmes for Madagascar, ending a four-year gap in case suspension of aid for the country of 22 million dated from 7 June 2010;
H. whereas according to human rights organizations, Madagascan authorities have been violating human rights such as excessive use of force and violence, arbitrary arrests and detentions, limiting freedom of expression and unfair trials; whereas independent journalists face pressure from authorities, and peaceful demonstrations are frequently banned or dispersed;
I. whereas the predominance of customary laws in the country has favoured harmful traditional practices including arranged, forced and early marriages; whereas women and girls continued to suffer sexual or other physical violence, while reporting rates were low and prosecutions rare.;
J. whereas despite five years of political deadlock, international condemnation and economic sanctions and the return of democratic elections in 2013, the political situation remains fragile corruption and a lack of government accountability remain problematic in the country; whereas only few governing bodies are truly independent from the president;
K. Whereas prison conditions continued to be dire, with severe overcrowding and inadequate infrastructure. Almost half of all prisoners suffered moderate to severe malnutrition; whereas rights organizations reported that about half of prison inmates in Madagascar have not yet been tried and pre-trial detention often exceeding the maximum potential sentence;
L. whereas since August 2017, Madagascar is experiencing a large outbreak of plague affecting major cities and other non-endemic areas; whereas more than 1,800 cases and 127 deaths has been reported since the start of the plague in August;
1.Welcomes the re-establishment of democracy and rule of law in the context of the elections of October and December 2013,
2.Is deeply concerned at the increasingly unstable situation in Madagascar; urges the authorities, and primarily the Presidents, to abide by their international obligations, to guarantee human rights and fundamental freedoms, and to exercise the task of governing with the strictest respect for the rule of law,
3.Strongly condemns all the violence perpetrated, including the breaches of human rights, arbitrary arrests and illegal detentions, and the violations of freedom of the press and freedom of expression in Madagascar; calls for a lift of all restrictions on the media,
4.Deplores the incidence of human rights violations and abuses by State and non-State actors against women and children and calls for the full respect of civic, political, social and economic rights of all citizens and the restoration of the rule of law in Madagascar;
5.Call on the Madagascan Government to ratify the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance at the earliest opportunity to address open questions related to the sequencing of the electoral calendar,
6.Reiterates is call for the urgent need for a return to constitutional order which is a condition for the return to institutional normality in Madagascar and urges to move rapidly towards free, open and transparent elections by democratic standards under the supervision of the international community,
7.Calls on the EU to pay attention to ensuring that the preparations for the forthcoming Presidential elections are inclusive, transparent and accepted by all; Stresses that credibility, including the lawfulness of the electoral process, implies that all political movements and leaders can take part in the elections freely and unconditionally and have an impaired access to the media,
8.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President/High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Commission, the Council, the ACP-EU Council, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the SADC, and the Commission of the African Union.