Rev. Daniel Rajakoba was the guest of Radio France International's “African Debates” program last sunday july, 30th. The interview was focused on the preservation of a secular state. This issue concerns Daniel Rajakoba in first chief: As an ecclesiastic, Minister of the FJKM Church (Reformed Protestant Church), and chief of an opposition political party (the Fihavanantsika Party), his lighting is all the more interesting. Current Malagasy president, Marc Ravalomanana, indeed takes advantage of his mandate as vice-president of the FJKM Church to use Christian Churches in general, and the FJKM Church in particular, as his actual political base.

Listen to the interview:

• MP3 Format (Downloadable for off-line play-back - 3.77 MB)
• Windows Media Audio Format (WMA - Can be played back on-line - 5.07 MB)

Since Marc Ravalomanana's access to the head of the country under widely contested conditions , he has always shown a notorious ignorance of one of the Malagasy Constitution's fundamentals which is the secularity of the State.

His vision of the partnership between the State and Churches is in fact a description of his will to politicize the churches, just like what he does in the Administration, Educational System and the Army. The fact that half of the Malagasy population is of Christian confession pushed Marc Ravalomanana to make this potential electorate his actual political base.This is what the whole political community, as well as the majority of the Christians denounce since then.

One will also want to read a cross-interview with Father Remi Ralibera from the Catholic Church and Rev. Rajakoba on this question.

As for us, we will have the opportunity to develop here what the Fihavanantsika party proposes as its Christian Vision of Democracy and Development.