Democracy pinned

We have an outcome to the wrestling match between Madagascar’s President Marc Ravalomanana and the Opposition leader, Andry Rajoelina. By the time the sun sets today over that otherwise idyllic nation, forty plus years of democratic tradition will have been swept aside.

Noone knows how events will unfold subsequently. For this reason Rajoelina should be concerned. For today may actually mark the beginning of the end for him, rather than the end of the beginning. We have seen numerous times throughout history that one military regime is succeeded by another and that once the genie is let out of the bottle it is very hard, although not impossible, to put back again.

Let us hope that history does not repeat itself and that the democratic dream is not over for Madagascar.