The country has been going through a deep crisis since September 25th, when numerous protests broke out, driven by young people from Generation Z, outraged by the constant cuts of electricity and water.
The leader of the coup d’état that took place last Tuesday in , Colonel Michael Randrianirina, was sworn in this Friday (17) as “president for the refoundation of the Republic of Madagascar” and promised “national reconstruction”. Without his military uniform and dressed in a dark suit, blue tie and white shirt, Randrianirina took the oath of office during a ceremony at the headquarters of the Superior Constitutional Court in the capital, Antananarivo, with the presence of representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in this island nation in southeast Africa.
“Before God, the country and the people, I solemnly swear to defend the Constitution, carry out my duties with honor and dignity, defend the integrity of the national territory, guarantee fundamental human rights, preserve national unity and promote the well-being of the Malagasy people”, said the new head of state.
The colonel is the leader of the Land Army Personnel and Services Administration Corps (CAPSAT), the powerful elite military unit that deposed President Andry Raojelina, who fled the country.
Randrianirina announced on Tuesday, from the Ambotsirohitra Palace, headquarters of the presidency in the capital, the suppression of the Constitution and the seizure of power in response to the serious crisis generated by popular protests since September 25th. The coup ousted Rajoelina, who had fled the country but was still reluctant to submit the resignation demanded by the youth protests.
Randrianirina announced that a council composed of the Army, the Gendarmerie and the National Police would be created, to which civilians could join, and that it would have a maximum period of two years to “rebuild the foundations of the nation”. He also guaranteed that, as part of this transition process, “a constitutional referendum will be held”.
“We are at a turning point in our history because, as recent events have shown, it is really the people who are demanding the revolution. Since independence, the Malagasy people have fought and sacrificed for a better life”, analyzed the colonel this Friday in his inauguration speech. “However, 60 years later, we are one of the poorest countries in the world, so Generation Z, with the support of the people, took to the streets to demand national reconstruction. They are also demanding the resolution of socioeconomic problems,” he emphasized.
In the short term, the new president promised to solve “the problems that weaken Malagasy society, especially energy, access to drinking water, health and education”. “In the medium term, we will organize a national consultation to review the constitution and electoral law,” he added.
In terms of governance, he anticipated that “an austerity policy” will be implemented and that “spending will be concentrated on the real needs of the population, avoiding unnecessary expenses and waste of public resources”. The colonel also asked for support from the international community “in this crucial phase in the history of the Malagasy people”.
International condemnation
The international community condemned the military uprising. The secretary general of , António Guterres, repudiated on Thursday the “unconstitutional” change of government in Madagascar and called for a return to constitutional order and the rule of law.
Last Wednesday, the African Union (AU) suspended Madagascar from all the organization’s activities until constitutional order is restored. The Southern African Development Community (SADC), a regional bloc of 16 countries, expressed its “alarm” at the coup, which it described as a “grave threat” to peace, stability and democratic order in the country.
Madagascar has been in a deep crisis since September 25, when mass protests broke out, driven by young Generation Z people outraged by the constant cuts of electricity and water.
The mobilizations evolved into an anti-government movement demanding the resignation of Rajoelina, accused of corruption, nepotism and embezzlement of public resources, and who is reluctant to leave power despite pressure on the streets.
Before Tuesday’s coup, Madagascar had suffered three coups d’état since its independence from France: 1972, 1975 and 2009. CAPSAT was involved in the 2009 coup, which overthrew then-president Marc Ravalomanana and brought Rajoelina to power for the first time.
*With information from EFE
Published by Nícolas Robert
