Andry Rajoelina has promised to push Madagascar to a new level after he took oath as newly elected President of the island nation on Saturday.
“I will be the president of all Malagasy people, and I am ready to work with anyone who wants to make the country develop,” he told the crowd at a stadium in the capital Antananarivo.
Dr. Edouard Ngirente the Prime Minister of Rwanda flew to Antananarivo to represent President Paul Kagame at the inauguration attended by other six African presidents.
Rajoelina, 49, took power for the first time in 2009, following the military-backed removal of Ravalomanana from the presidency.
Rajoelina has pledged to lead the country to “build a stronger and more prosperous nation.”
Rajoelina mentioned three pillars — human capital, industrialization and governance — as part of his program for the next five years, aiming at “producing and transforming locally the daily needs of the population.”
Priorities will be given to speeding up industrialization, improving the business climate, training young people and creating jobs to improve living conditions, particularly for the most vulnerable, he said.
Rajoelina also vowed to fight corruption, underlining his firm commitment to the values of integrity, honesty and loyalty.
However, an opposition coalition has been holding near daily protests for weeks before the November 16 vote to condemn what they called a “constitutional coup d’etat” by Rajoelina to stay in office.
Some opposition activists have faced criminal charges for taking part in the demonstrations.
Madagascar is the world’s biggest producer of vanilla but a price fall amid sluggish demand in recent years has hit the industry and Madagascar’s balance of payments.
About 75 percent of the population of 29 million live below the poverty level.
