Colonel Michael Randrianirina has been sworn in as the new president of Madagascar days after a military takeover on the Indian Ocean nation.
He succeeds President Andry Rajoelina, who fled the country and was later impeached following weeks of youth-led protests demanding greater accountability from his government.
The ceremony took place at the Constitutional Court in the capital, Antananarivo, where a large crowd gathered to watch – including those who spearheaded the protests.
The country now enters a transition period, which will be full of political obstacles and legal uncertainty – though there is cautious optimism about Col Randrianirina’s leadership.
Constitutional Court president Florent Rakotoarisoa has criticised the international community for describing the situation in Madagascar as a coup.
He said that there was no violation of the constitution in Madagascar, instead blaming the constitution for causing the situation to deteriorate.
Protesters had hoped that Rajoelina would simply resign and pave the way for a smooth, democratic transition.
Instead, he clung to power, dissolving his government and holding a series of dialogues with different groups of people, efforts that were not enough to appease the protesters.
The protests, which started last month, were initially organised by a youth movement known as Gen Z Mada – angered by persistent power and water shortages.
Col Randrianirina was head of Madagascar’s elite CAPSAT army unit, when on Tuesday his troops joined the thousands of protesters on the streets of the capital.
He told the Gen Z demonstrators he was taking power and that the military would form a government and hold elections within two years.
Pro-democracy advocates, both inside and outside the country, hope that this promise will be fulfilled.
Ahead of Friday’s swearing-in, he added that reforming the electoral commission and cleaning up the voters’ roll were essential before fresh elections could be held, according to news site L’Express de Madagascar.
Source: BBC
