Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina announced the composition of a new government on Sunday evening, August 15, after suspending all the ministers on Wednesday by instructing them only to deal with current affairs.
Prime Minister Christian Ntsay, 60, is retained and ten ministers reappointed, while 22 new ones are entering the government, he said in a televised speech.
Referring to the "
failures
" of the former government, he nevertheless affirmed that "
no fault can be blamed on them, but it is the rule, each person can be replaced in his post
".
The ministers of Defense and Public Security, as well as Lalatiana Rakontondrazafy, Minister of Communication, are notably renewed.
These are three pillars of the regime's defense against its detractors.
Former president's daughter joins government
Among the new ministers, the former adviser to the president, Patrick Rajoelina (who has the same surname as the head of state, but no direct family link) is appointed to Foreign Affairs. The daughter of former President Didier Ratsiraka, who died in March, Sofia Ratsiraka, is appointed to Crafts and the former mayor of the capital Antananarivo, Edgard Razafindravahy, to Commerce.
Elected in 2018 for a five-year term, Andry Rajoelina is expected to run for voters in just over two years. As the country faces high inflation and the coronavirus pandemic, the mandate of the new government is a "
program contract
", warned the president, because "
the realization of the aspirations of the population requires results and decisions. responsibility within the State
”.