Madagascar’s Colonel Michael Randrianirina has been sworn in as the country’s new president, days after leading a military mutiny that forced former leader Andry Rajoelina to flee the capital.
The 51-year-old army commander, known for his long-standing opposition to Rajoelina, took the presidential oath at a ceremony held on Friday at the Constitutional Court in Antananarivo.
The event was attended by senior military officials, politicians, youth movement leaders, and foreign representatives from the United States, European Union, Russia, and France.
“Today marks a historic turning point for our country,” Randrianirina declared in his inaugural address. “With a people in full fervor, driven by the desire for change and a deep love for their homeland, we joyfully open a new chapter in the life of our nation.”
The colonel emerged as the face of the military uprising earlier this week when, standing outside the presidential palace, he told reporters that the army had “taken power.”
His CAPSAT military contingent had announced that it would “refuse orders to shoot” anti-government demonstrators, many of whom were part of a Gen Z-led protest movement demanding Rajoelina’s resignation.
Randrianirina said his administration would work with national stakeholders to “draft a new constitution” and establish “electoral laws for the organisation of elections and referendums.”
He also pledged sweeping reforms to overhaul Madagascar’s administrative, socio-economic, and political systems.
“We are committed to breaking with the past,” he said. “Our main mission is to restore trust, unity, and hope in our nation.”
The developments mark a dramatic shift in Madagascar’s political landscape, raising both hopes and concerns about the country’s democratic future.