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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Madagascar dissolves parliament |
| 2009-03-20 |
| Andry Rajoelina, Madagascar's interim president, has dissolved the national assembly and senate on his first day in office. Rajoelina, who forced Marc Ravalomanana from the presidency on Tuesday after a seven-week campaign of street protests, also appointed a number of ministers to his interim government on Thursday. The 35-year-old swept to power after the army took his side in a power struggle with the then-president, who Rajoelina accused of authoritarianism and misuse of public funds. Rajoelina - who is six years too young to be president under the constitution - heads a transitional government which has pledged to hold elections within two years. Sadc rejection But nations of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) said on Thursday that it would not recognise Rajoelina as Madagascar's new president. After a mini-summit in Swaziland about the Indian Ocean island, Sadc urged the African Union and the international community not to recognise Rajoelina as president. Sadc's decision-making body called for a return to "democratic and constitutional rule in the shortest time possible". |
| Posted by:Fred |