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The new Malagasy President, Andry Rajoelina, on the left, expresses himself at the inauguration ceremony in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Saturday, January 19, 2019. Rajoelina told a crowd in the capital that for the first time since independence, Madagascar has witnessed a peaceful and democratic transfer of power between two elected leaders and dedicated to fighting corruption. (Associated Press)
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar – The new Malagasy president has been sworn in and is committed to creating independent bodies to fight the widespread corruption of this island country in the Indian Ocean.
Andry Rajoelina, who was leading the country from 2009 to 2014 in a transitional government after a military coup, said Saturday in front of the crowd in the capital that for the first time since independence, Madagascar was witnessing a peaceful and democratic transfer of power between two elected leaders.
Rajoelina, 44, won the second round after the Constitutional High Court rejected all complaints about the results. The rival candidate and former president Marc Ravalomanana had alleged mbadive fraud on election day, but then congratulated Rajoelina on his victory.
More than two-thirds of Madagascar's 25 million people live in extreme poverty and Rajoelina is committed to restructuring the economy to achieve "strong growth".
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.
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