Three months after Madagascar's president was ousted in an army-backed coup, the new regime is struggling to rally international support and talks on the island have been fruitless. The Indian Ocean nation's political crisis began late last year when the youthful Andry Rajeolina took the helm of the opposition and spearheaded three months of street protests to topple Marc Ravalomanana. With the army's support, he sent the elected president fleeing into exile and was proclaimed interim leader, but the post-coup crisis has lasted another three months and the island remains in constitutional and diplomatic limbo. The country's various political factions have all expressed their willingness to take part in talks but have also stuck to their guns, obstinately defending irreconcilable positions. The deadlock led the mediation -- which includes representatives of the African Union, United Nations and the International Francophonie Organisation -- to indefinitely suspend the talks on June 16. 'The key is the physical return of Marc Ravalomanana so that he can run in the elections,' said Raharinaivo Andrianatoandro, a spokesman for the ousted leader, who is planning his fightback from southern Africa. Rajoelina, who is constitutionally five years too young to run for president, has promised to organise fresh polls next year and said he would waive his candidacy if his rival did the same. He has made it clear that Ravalomanana, whom he described as a dictator starving the country when he led opposition marches earlier this year, was not welcome back on the island. 'The main issue here is to decide whether he who has committed criminal acts and plundered the country's resources is fit to run in the election,' Rajoelina said in a recent interview with Radio France Internationale. An Antananarivo court also sentenced Ravalomanana in absentia to four years in jail over the purchase last year of a 60-million-dollar presidential jet from Disney. While the two main rivals' supporters have not clashed in recent weeks, the situation remains tense as Madagascar marks the 49th anniversary of its independence from France on Friday. 'Many of our supporters consider that leaving the national holiday to the High Transition Authority is a sacrilege,' said Alain Andriamiseza, a leader of the Ravalomanana loyalist movement. 'Some fringe groups are radicalising at an alarming rate,' he warned. The transition's security services have enhanced their set-up ahead of the June 26 celebrations, with some Ravalomanana supporters still hoping their champion could chose this symbolic date for his return. Police said Wednesday they had arrested several people suspected of planting bombs in Madagascar's capital, adding that they were believed to be Ravalomanana supporters. Rajoelina has struggled to woo the international community, which has with no notable exception condemned his takeover and called for a return to constitutional order. So far however, no viable alternative has emerged to Rajoelina's transition roadmap, which involves a new constitution being drafted by this month and submitted to popular referendum in September. The only ray of hope that the deadlock can be broken came last week when the 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) named Joaquim Chissano to take over the mediation. The former Mozambican president is one of the continent's most respected statesmen and was praised by all sides for his contribution to ending the civil war in Uganda as a United Nations envoy. The UN's envoy, Tiebile Drame, voiced hope that Chissano's appointment may boost the chances of direct talks, most likely outside of Madagascar, between Rajoelina, Ravalomanana and two other former presidents. 