By Tim Cocks
ANTANANARIVO (Reuters) -Madagascar’s coup chief Colonel Michael Randrianirina was sworn in as president on Friday to cheers, blaring trumpets and raised swords, days after taking management of the island nation within the wake of youth-led protests that compelled out his predecessor.
Ex-leader Andry Rajoelina, whom lawmakers impeached after he fled overseas on the weekend, has condemned the takeover and refused to step down whereas in exile, regardless of widespread defections within the safety forces and the Excessive Constitutional Court docket ratifying the military takeover inside hours of it occurring.
The African Union and the United Nations Secretary-Normal Antonio Guterres have condemned the coup, which got here after weeks of “Gen Z” protests initially triggered by extreme, continual energy and water shortages.
MILITARY-LED COMMITTEE TO RULE FOR UP TO TWO YEARS
“I’ll absolutely, utterly, and justly fulfil the excessive duties of my place as President of the Republic of Madagascar,” Randrianirina stated in a ceremony on the Excessive Constitutional Court docket, a colonial-era red-brick constructing of French home windows, segmental arches and stone balustrades.
“I swear that I’ll train the facility entrusted to me and dedicate all my energy to defending and strengthening nationwide unity and human rights,” he added, earlier than army officers raised swords and trumpets blared to mark the handover.
Whereas most of the youths cheered the demise of Rajoelina’s administration, which got here to workplace in a 2009 coup, some are already expressing misgivings in regards to the swiftness with which the military stepped in to fill the facility vacuum.
Randrianirina had stated earlier that the army had taken energy and dissolved all establishments besides the decrease home of parliament, or Nationwide Meeting.
He additionally stated {that a} committee led by the army would rule for as much as two years alongside a transitional authorities earlier than organising new elections.
ELITE ARMY UNIT
Randrianirina was a commander within the elite CAPSAT military unit that performed a job within the 2009 coup that introduced Rajoelina to energy however broke ranks with him final week, urging troopers to not hearth on protesters.
Madagascar’s inhabitants of about 30 million individuals has a mean age of lower than 20 years.
Three-quarters of the individuals stay in poverty, and the typical revenue is barely $600 a month whereas costs of fundamental items such because the staple rice have spiralled.
Between its independence in 1960 and 2020, GDP per capita plunged 45%, in response to the World Financial institution, one of many few international locations to have change into worse off over that interval.
(Reporting by Tim Cocks and Lovasoa Rabary, modifying by Ammu Kannampilly and Alex Richardson)
