Rajoelina appoints Madagascar 'consensus' govt

Madagascan leader Andry Rajoelina on Tuesday unveiled a new Cabinet line-up billed as a unity government but already rejected by the opposition and international mediators.

Rajoelina’s Prime Minister Monja Roindefo read a presidential decree on national television and listed the names of 31 ministers, including 13 newcomers.

Ministries such as defence, foreign affairs, justice and security are unchanged but the line-up includes stalwarts from the regime of former president Marc Ravalomanana, whom Rajoelina ousted in March with the army’s support.

In addition to the 31 ministers, Rajemison Rakotomaharo et Jacques Sylla were appointed respectively vice-president and Parliament speaker of the Indian Ocean island’s transitional authority.

On Friday Rajoelina said he was keeping Roindefo on as prime minister and tasked him with putting in place “a government of national unity open to all movements” within 72 hours.

The main opposition movements, led by three former heads of state, had already said they could not accept any unilateral move by Rajoelina, arguing it would violate a power-sharing deal reached last month in Mozambique.

The internationally brokered crisis talks in Maputo last month yielded a deal stipulating that the president and prime minister of a power-sharing transition period were to be decided by consensus.

Madagascar’s opposition argues that Rajoelina, who at 35 is constitutionally too young to even run for president, has not accepted the principle of power-sharing and is trying to cling to his post.—AFP