Madagascar’s transitional leader, Michael Randrianirina, has appointed Mamitiana Rajaonarison as the country’s new prime minister, days after dissolving the government.
In a statement on Sunday, the presidency said Rajaonarison, head of Madagascar’s financial intelligence unit since 2021, would lead a new cabinet. He previously served as a senior gendarmerie officer and career civil administrator and replaces Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo, who was dismissed last week when the cabinet was unexpectedly dissolved.
Rajaonarivelo had been appointed shortly after Randrianirina assumed power in October amid protests that forced former president Andry Rajoelina to flee the country.
Speaking at the presidential palace in Antananarivo, Randrianirina said the country required “bold decisions” at a critical moment, describing the new premier as a man of integrity who “cannot be bought with money.”
Randrianirina has rejected accusations that his rise to power amounted to a coup, insisting that the Constitutional Court of Madagascar legally transferred authority to him.
He has pledged a two-year transition that will include nationwide consultations, the drafting of a new constitution and presidential elections scheduled for 2027.
Political analysts say the abrupt dismissal of the previous prime minister came as a surprise, though some suggest growing demands for reform and pressure from youth-led protest movements may have influenced the decision.
Source: VON – https://von.gov.ng/madagascars-transitional-leader-picks-new-prime-minister/
