ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar — In a decisive move to consolidate his administration’s focus on transparency, Madagascar’s President Michael Randrianirina has appointed the nation’s top anticorruption official as prime minister, just one week after dismissing the entire cabinet.
The presidency announced Sunday that Mamitiana Rajaonarison, a career civil administrator and former senior gendarmerie officer who has led the country’s Financial Intelligence Unit (SAMIFIN) since 2021, will form a new government.
The appointment marks a significant shift in the island nation’s political landscape, coming months after Randrianirina—then a colonel—seized power in October amid protests that forced former President Andry Rajoelina to flee the country.
A Mandate for Integrity
In a ceremony broadcast live on state television from the presidential palace, Randrianirina framed the selection as a turning point for the Indian Ocean nation.
“The Malagasy nation needs bold decisions. We are now at a turning point,” the president declared. “This country needs a person of integrity, a person of principle, incorruptible and who cannot be bought with money.”
Randrianirina stated that Rajaonarison’s primary directive is to lead the government “on a clean path” and work to restore public hope in state institutions following months of political turbulence.
Abrupt Dismissal Precedes Appointment
The installation of Rajaonarison follows the abrupt dismissal of former Prime Minister Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo and the entirety of the cabinet last Monday. At the time, the presidency offered no official explanation for the sweeping purge.
Rajaonarivelo, a private sector appointee, had held the post only since October, when he was tapped shortly after Randrianirina’s military-backed ascent to power. His removal signals the president’s desire to pivot from a transitional administration to a governance model rooted in institutional experience.
New Premier Brings Financial Crimes Expertise
Rajaonarison arrives at the prime minister’s office with a background in security and financial oversight. Since 2021, he has served as the director of SAMIFIN, the country’s financial intelligence unit responsible for combating illicit financial flows, money laundering, and terrorism financing. His experience in tracking corrupt practices aligns directly with Randrianirina’s stated priority of cleaning up governance.
Political observers in Antananarivo view the appointment as a calculated effort by the new administration to distance itself from the corruption allegations that plagued previous governments and to build credibility with international financial institutions.
Rajaonarison is expected to unveil his new cabinet in the coming days, a selection that will be closely watched as an indicator of whether the president’s promises of reform will translate into tangible political change.
