Madagascar's transitional President Andry Rajoelina has allowed the wife of the ex-president Marc Ravalomanana to return to the country to visit her mother who is seriously ill, a statement from the transitional presidency said on Tuesday.
"If Lalao Ravalomanana, the wife of the former president wants to visit her sick mother, I do not have any objection on that request. I cannot turn down a request for such a visit. I understand the value of human life, and especially if a close family member is sick," Rajoelina said.
"I cannot deny the wife of the former president to visit her mother after all it's purely a humanitarian visit. However, the health of her mother should not be used for political reasons. If that will be the basis for her visit, then there will be no problem for her to make the visit," the transition president continued.
Rajoelina said that Ravalomanana's family had requested that the visit will be "exclusively" for purposes of enabling the former First Lady to visit her mother.
Lalao who has been in exile in South Africa together with her husband since the outbreak of Madagascar's political crisis in 2009, had requested for permission to visit her mother, 83, who has been hospitalized for the last two weeks over high blood pressure.