Army Colonel Michael Randrianirina was officially sworn in as Madagascar’s new president on Friday, just days after a dramatic military-led power shift forced former president Andry Rajoelina to flee the country.
Colonel Randrianirina, who commanded the CAPSAT army unit that defected and joined anti-government demonstrators over the weekend, took the presidential oath during a formal ceremony at the Constitutional Court in the capital, Antananarivo, according to AFP correspondents on the scene.
“Today marks a historic turning point for our country,” Randrianirina declared in his inaugural address. “With the people united in their fervent desire for change and a profound love for their homeland, we joyfully begin a new chapter in our nation’s history.”
The ceremony, overseen by the head of the Constitutional Court, was attended by senior military officials, political leaders, youth activists from the Gen Z-led protest movement, and foreign dignitaries—including representatives from the United States, European Union, Russia, and France.
In his speech, Randrianirina pledged to collaborate across political and civic lines to usher in a new democratic framework. “We will work hand in hand with all national stakeholders to draft a robust constitution and establish fair electoral laws to guide future elections and referendums,” he said.
He also expressed gratitude to the young activists who played a key role in the uprising that unseated Rajoelina. “We are committed to breaking with the past,” he emphasized. “Our foremost mission is to fundamentally reform Madagascar’s administrative, socio-economic, and political systems.”
AFP
