Andry Rajoelina

Andry Rajoelina
Rajoelina in 2023
8th President of Madagascar
Assumed office
16 December 2023
Prime MinisterChristian Ntsay
Preceded byRichard Ravalomanana (acting)
In office
19 January 2019 – 9 September 2023
Prime MinisterChristian Ntsay
Preceded byRivo Rakotovao (acting)
Succeeded byChristian Ntsay (acting)
In office
17 March 2009 – 25 January 2014
as President of the High Transitional Authority of Madagascar
Prime Minister
See list
Preceded byHyppolite Ramaroson (acting)
Succeeded byHery Rajaonarimampianina
51st Mayor of Antananarivo
In office
12 December 2007 – 3 February 2009
Preceded byHery Rafalimanana
Succeeded byGuy Randrianarisoa (acting)
Personal details
Born
Andry Nirina Rajoelina

(1974-05-30) 30 May 1974 (age 49)
Antsirabe, Malagasy Republic
NationalityMalagasy
French (since 2014)
Political partyYoung Malagasies Determined
Spouse
(m. 2000)
Children3
ResidenceIavoloha Palace
WebsiteOfficial website

Andry Nirina Rajoelina (/ˈɑːndr rɑːˈlnɑː/,[1] Malagasy: [ˈjanɖʐʲ nʲˈrinᵊ ratʐ'welinᵊ]; born 30 May 1974) is a Malagasy-French politician and businessman who has served as president of Madagascar since 2023. He previously served as president from 2019 to 2023, and was president of a provisional government from 2009 to 2014 following a political crisis and military-backed coup, having held the office of Mayor of Antananarivo for one year prior. Before entering the political arena, Rajoelina was involved in the private sector, including a printing and advertising company called Injet in 1999 and the Viva radio and television networks in 2007.

He formed the political party Young Malagasies Determined and was elected Mayor of Antananarivo in 2007. While in this position, he led an opposition movement against then-President Marc Ravalomanana that culminated in a 2009 political crisis. Rajoelina was appointed as President of the High Transitional Authority of Madagascar (HTA) by a military council, in a move characterised as a coup d'état by the international community.[2] Rajoelina dissolved the Senate and National Assembly, and transferred their powers to a variety of new governance structures responsible for overseeing the transition toward a new constitutional authority. This conflicted with an internationally mediated process to establish a transitional government. Voters approved a new constitution in a controversial national referendum in November 2010, ushering in the Fourth Republic.

He held the Presidency of the HTA until general elections were held in 2013, and stepped down in 2014. He won the 2018 presidential election and was inaugurated President of Madagascar on 19 January 2019. His tenure included directing the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Madagascar, during which he promoted misinformation and unproven treatments for the disease, as well as a 2021 food insecurity crisis and Cyclone Batsirai. In June 2023, the revelation of his acquisition of French nationality in 2014 led to the opening of a parliamentary inquiry, followed by the questioning of the High Constitutional Court by a group of citizens of the Malagasy diaspora in France. Under Malagasy law, this may have disqualified him from the presidency, as the country imposes a loss of citizenship if voluntarily acquiring another nationality, and only allows citizens of Madagascar to hold the Presidency. Rajoelina argued that he automatically acquired the French nationality through his father, thus not making him lose his Malagasy one. The Constitutional Court eventually sided with him, pointing out the lack of a decree removing his nationality.[3] Rajoelina then proceeded to win the 2023 Malagasy presidential election.

  1. ^ "How do you say ANDRY RAJOELINA?". VOA Pronunciation Guide. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "INVALIDATION DE CANDIDATURE - la HCC déboute Fanirisoa Ernaivo". 20 October 2023.

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