Three of Madagascar's leading powerbrokers said Tuesday they want to press ahead with a transition government, but their five days of talks were undermined as the island's leader refused to attend. Ousted president Marc Ravalomanana and former presidents Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy ended five days of talks in the Mozambican capital with an agreement on how to divide ministries in a new government meant to lead the Indian Ocean island out of crisis. But the deal's value remains in doubt because of the absence of Andry Rajoelina, the man who seized power in March with the military's blessing. After participating in three previous rounds of talks aimed at ending the ongoing crisis, Rajoelina sat out the most recent round, arguing that the new government should be formed in Madagascar. The deal gives each leader six ministries, with Ravalomanana taking the commerce and foreign ministries, Ratsiraka finance and energy, and Zafy environment and mines, according to documents issued after the talks. The leaders left several key ministries for current strongman Rajoelina, including the justice, armed forces, and economy and industry portfolios. But the empty chair left for Rajoelina at Tuesday's signing ceremony highlighted the absence of his signature on the resolution. Rajoelina's office issued a statement Monday before the talks were concluded in which the 35-year-old leader rejected the three other parties' proposal for a redistribution of portfolios as 'provocative'. Sources in his camp would only say that he was discussing with his movement the final formula put forward late Monday. Former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano, who led the mediation, called the deal 'a step forward' and said: 'Now we'll see what the results are.' But the African Union's Peace and Security Council 'expressed deep concern at the continuing deadlock facing the formation of the government of national unity in Madagascar, which could jeopardise the progress achieved so far in the process of ending the crisis.' Madagascar, a country that has been repeatedly shaken by crisis since the 1970s, was plunged into new turmoil late last year by street protests in the capital Antananarivo. Backed by the military, Rajoelina ousted Ravalomanana in March but subsequently failed to obtain international recognition and was forced into talks with his rivals after months of constitutional limbo. In August the country's main powerbrokers reached a deal to form a transitional government that would pave the way to new elections. Last month they agreed at a meeting in Addis Ababa that Rajoelina would preside over the transitional authority, with two co-presidents and a prime minister representing the other movements. 