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ADDIS ABABA, June 21 (AFP) - Madagascar's former president, Didier Ratsiraka, arrived in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Friday morning for a special Organisation of African Unity (OAU) summit on the political crisis in his home country.

But hopes that the summit could help find a solution to the increasingly violent deadlock in the Madagascar faded on Thursday when the Indian Ocean island's new president, Marc Ravalomanana, announced he would not be attending the meeting.

He also branded arch-foe Ratsiraka -- who has refused to accept him as the legitimate president of the former French colony -- a "criminal" who would be prosecuted if he dared return to Madagascar from France, where he had been staying since June 4.

The Madagascan foreign minister, finance minister and a senior presidential aide left the capital, Antananarivo, for Addis Ababa on Friday morning.

The OAU summit is due to begin at 3 pm (1200 GMT). It will be chaired by Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade and involve "about half a dozen" other African heads of state, according to diplomats.

It is expected to discuss an OAU plan, put forward on June 9, to diffuse the crisis which has raged in Madagasgar since disputed presidential elections in December.

It foresees the formation of a transitional government involving an equal number of representatives from both the Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana camps to lead the country to early general elections.

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Nampa-AFP WEB story ENDS (NAMPA 210759)