wfn.org | Anglican Missionary sends request for prayer in Madagascar crisis

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ACNS 2869 - ENS - 12 February 2002

Missionary sends urgent request for prayer in Madagascar political crisis

by Mary W Cox

[ENS 2002-025] The Revd Todd McGregor, a missionary from the Diocese of
Southeast Florida who has worked in Madagascar for the past ten years, sent
an urgent request for prayer early on the morning of Friday 25 January.

At an informal dinner at McGregor's home the previous night, Archbishop Rimi
Rabenirina, primate of the Province of the Indian Ocean and bishop of
Antananarivo, gave McGregor an alarming view of the political situation in
Madagascar.

"The country has spent the last month waiting for an answer to the election
of 15 December," McGregor explained. "There is contention on who has won the
election. [Didier] Ratsiraka, the former president of about 26 years, is
refusing to step down and says that he received the majority of votes. His
opposition refuses to accept this, as he has reason to believe that the
former president has made an illegal election, stuffing ballot boxes and
paying people to 'miscount' votes and vote for him. It is not a pretty
situation.

"Since the election, there has been a recount, of which the opposition was
found to win by a majority vote, again the president refusing to step
down... Archbishop Rimi has heard that the former (current) president will
announce his re-election, stating that he has won by a majority vote. The
Malagasy people will not accept this and to quote Archbishop Rimi, 'there
will be bloodshed for sure.'"

The nation's high court ruled on 25 January that neither candidate had won
enough votes to be declared president, and set a second round of voting for
February 24. The announcement triggered widespread strikes and massive
protest demonstrations by supporters of the opposition candidate.

McGregor said that although US president George W. Bush has written to
Rasiraka, asking that he step down peacefully, the 20% of the military who
back the former president are ready to fight to keep him in power.

He added that the archbishop feels the situation is worse than in 1991, when
the country was "shut down for months" by a general strike and 137 people
were massacred by Ratsiraka's troops shooting from a helicopter.

The archbishop himself is on a list of persons - including three other
religious leaders (Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Reformed) - who would be
arrested if Ratsiraka remains in power. He told the McGregors that he may
need to leave Antananarivo and flee into the countryside for his own safety.
"He is a bit concerned for his life, but even more so for the truth to be
revealed in this country," said McGregor.

The missionary asked for prayer, specifically for protection for Archbishop
Rimi and his family and for the opposition presidential candidate, Marc
Ravalomanana, whose his life is being threatened; "for many innocent lives -
that bloodshed would be kept to a minimum"; and "that the truth would be
revealed and God's will would be done for the good of Madagascar."

He also asked for prayers for "stability and peace for our family."
McGregor, his wife Patsy, and daughters Corby and Charese are scheduled to
be on furlough in Florida beginning in August, but now fear they will have
to leave their ministry in Madagascar "sooner than we think."

[Mary W Cox is director of communications for the Diocese of Southeast
Florida.]

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