Andry Rajoelina

Andry Rajoelina Nirina (* May 30, 1974 ) is a Malagasy politician and selbstproklamiertes since the overthrow of Marc Ravalomanana on 17 March 2009 the head of the transitional government of Madagascar. After a constitutional amendment in November 2010, Rajoelina announced to stay up to free presidential elections. The initially planned for spring 2011 elections were postponed several times; the first round of voting took place on October 25, 2013, the runoff of the two best-placed candidates on 20 December 2013. From December 2007 to February 2009 was mayor of the capital Antananarivo, Rajoelina and until March 2009, the main opposition leader in the country. With the inauguration of his successor Hery Rajaonarimampianina on January 25, 2014 ended the tenure of the interim president.

Career

Andry Rajoelina came from a relatively wealthy family, which belongs to the Merina ethnic group. As the son of a colonel of the Malagasy army, he began a career as a DJ and organizer. In 1999 he founded Injet, the first Malagasy advertising agency. Rajoelina is the owner of the television and radio channel VIVA. On 12 December 2007 he was elected as an independent candidate with 63.3 % of the vote for mayor of Antananarivo. Rajoelina, who upon his rapid occurrence was nicknamed " TGV " in allusion, these initials then used for his own political movement Tanora Malagasy Vonona ( " Young resolute Malagasy ").

In the following months, Rajoelina has developed into a dedicated critic of the government's course of President Marc Ravalomanana. This decreed on 13 December 2008, the closure of Rajoelina's television station Viva, after had been shown an interview with the former President of Madagascar, Didier Ratsiraka. The closure of the channel led to massive protests on the part of the followers Rajoelina.

Uprising against Ravalomanana

On 31 January 2009, Andry Rajoelina declared during a rally then to the new rulers of Madagascar, the chairman of the " High Authority for the Transition". He accused President Ravalomanana from corruption and abuse of power. On February 3, 2009, Rajoelina was deposed by the government as mayor and replaced by the special administrator Guy Randrianarisoa.

After his failed coup attempt Rajoelina escaped on March 6, 2009 in the French embassy in Antananarivo. Parts of the military supported him continued and threatened President Ravalomanana turn a coup. Between January and March 2009, more than 140 people lost their lives during the conflict between Rajoelina and Ravalomanana.

Presidency

After the security forces in Madagascar had made ​​behind closed Rajoelina, this now declared publicly as the new president of the country and established a transitional government. On 16 March 2009 soldiers occupied the official residence of the President. A day later, Ravalomanana finally gave up and handed the presidency to the senior military leaders of the country, Vice Admiral Appolite Ramaroson Rarison. The military, however, renounced and gave the state power to Rajoelina. Although the constitution of Madagascar provides for a minimum age of 40 for the president, Andry Rajoelina has been confirmed by the Supreme Constitutional Court as the new president. Rajoelina announced to hold free elections within two years.

Rajoelina's seizure of power was criticized internationally. The Southern African Development Community disapproved of the course of events. For the African Union, the disempowerment Ravalomanana was tantamount to a coup d'etat, which is why they immediately exposed Madagascar membership. Other countries, including Germany and the United States announced, to finish their development cooperation. International observers suspected that the former dictator Didier Ratsiraka Rajoelina's career has strongly supported.

On 17 November 2010 the minimum age for Malagasy president was lowered to 35 years in a constitutional referendum. The vote was boycotted by the opposition; with a voter turnout of 53 % agreed with nearly 74 % of the voters of the constitutional amendment. Several African states, however, refused to recognize the referendum. During the referendum, several officers made ​​an unsuccessful coup attempt against Rajoelina's transitional government.

Although the new constitution now allows Rajoelina as candidates in free presidential elections, said this several times, not wanting to compete. Presidential and parliamentary elections were originally scheduled for the spring of 2011, but then postponed several times. On September 17, 2011 the political parties agreed to the holding of presidential elections finally to a date in March 2012; even this date was postponed several times, most recently on 25 October 2013. The former President Ravalomanana to return to Madagascar and participation in the elections was made possible. The agreement also stipulated that Rajoelina until the elections remains interim President. On January 18, 2013 said Rajoelina, that he, after also rival and predecessor Marc Ravalomanana had renounced his candidacy, will not run in the next presidential election.