Madagascar's new and unrecognised transitional government opened a two-day national forum on Thursday to resolve a months-long political crisis, but the former ruling party of the ousted president stayed away.

Andry Rajoelina, who was took over leadership of the Indian Ocean island after Marc Ravalomanana was forced to step down on 17 March, said the talks marked the beginning of efforts to change the country's politics.

"This day today should be marked with a white stone in the history of Madagascar," Rajoelina told the opening ceremony.

"In fact it is today that were are going to lay the first stone in the democratisation and process of profound change in Madagascar's political life and leadership," he added.

Top military officers, religious leaders and members of Rajoelina's own transitional authority, attended the meeting.

But Ravalomanana's I Love Madagascar (TIM) party boycotted the meeting, saying it would organise its own conference on Friday.

Ravalomanana told this weeks's Southern African Development Community summit he was forced to resign at gunpoint after his army-backed rival dispatched troops to the presidential palace.

The 15-nation body decided Monday to suspend Madagascar until constitutional order is restored.

AFP

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