Madagascar leader appoints financial intelligence chief as new prime minister

Madagascar’s transitional leader, Michael Randrianirina, has appointed the head of the country’s financial intelligence unit, Mamitiana Rajaonarison, as prime minister, just days after dissolving the government.

In a statement on Sunday, the presidency said Rajaonarison, who has led the anti-money-laundering agency SAMIFIN since 2021, would head a new cabinet. A former senior gendarmerie officer and career civil administrator, he replaces Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo, who was dismissed last week when the cabinet was unexpectedly dissolved.

Rajaonarivelo had been appointed shortly after Randrianirina took power in October during protests that forced former president Andry Rajoelina to flee the country.

Speaking during a ceremony at the presidential palace in Antananarivo, Randrianirina said the nation required “bold decisions” at a critical moment, describing the new premier as a man of integrity who “cannot be bought with money.”

Randrianirina denies accusations that his rise to power amounted to a coup, maintaining that the Constitutional Court legally transferred authority to him. He has promised a two-year transition that includes nationwide consultations, the drafting of a new constitution and presidential elections planned for 2027.

Political analysts say the sudden removal of the previous prime minister came as a surprise, although some believe growing demands for reform and pressure from youth-led protest movements may have influenced the decision.