Madagascar’s new leader Michael Randrianirina has appointed a civilian prime minister after a recent military coup forced former president Andry Rajoelina to flee the country.
Lawmakers impeached Rajoelina for desertion of duty after weeks of nationwide protests. On Friday, Army Colonel Randrianirina took the oath as president and declared military control.
In a televised address, Randrianirina pledged radical reform and fresh elections to restore democracy in the impoverished island nation. Protests last month, fueled by anger over power outages and poor governance, had quickly evolved into a broad anti-government movement.
On Monday, Randrianirina named Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo; a respected private sector leader and former chairman of BNI Bank Madagascar, as the new civilian prime minister after consultations with the National Assembly.
Randrianirina said Rajaonarivelo possesses “the abilities, the background, and international connections needed to help Madagascar cooperate with other nations.”
Rejecting claims that he staged a coup, Randrianirina insisted that the military takeover aimed to protect national stability. He promised a civilian-led government that will work with “all the driving forces of the nation.”
He emphasized that the appointment of the premie “scrupulously followed the Constitution.”
Randrianirina, who commanded the CAPSAT army unit, had led the October 11 mutiny in Antananarivo, condemning Rajoelina’s forces for violence against protesters. The mutiny became a turning point in the rebellion that ultimately removed Rajoelina from power.
According to local media, the ousted president fled to the French island of Réunion on Sunday and was later flown to Dubai on a French military aircraft.
While the constitutional court has endorsed Randrianirina’s leadership, Rajoelina’s supporters continue to denounce the takeover as unconstitutional.
