By Spy Uganda
Colonel Michael Randrianirina, the leader of Madagascar’s latest military takeover, was sworn in as president on Friday amid cheers, blaring trumpets, and raised swords — days after seizing power following youth-led protests that forced out his predecessor.
Former president Andry Rajoelina, who was impeached by lawmakers after fleeing the country over the weekend, has condemned the takeover and vowed not to step down from exile. His refusal comes despite mass defections within the security forces and the High Constitutional Court’s swift ratification of the army’s seizure of power.
At the swearing-in ceremony held at the High Constitutional Court, a colonial-era red-brick building with arched windows and stone balustrades, Randrianirina pledged to lead with justice and uphold national unity.
“I will fully, completely, and justly fulfil the high responsibilities of my position as President of the Republic of Madagascar,” he declared.
“I swear that I will exercise the power entrusted to me and dedicate all my strength to defending and strengthening national unity and human rights.”
As he finished his oath, military officers raised their swords and blew trumpets, symbolically marking the transfer of power.
Randrianirina announced that a military-led committee will govern the country for up to two years, alongside a transitional government, before organizing fresh elections. However, political analysts are skeptical.
“Whether the military returns power depends less on words and more on binding safeguards, incentives, and oversight,” said Ketakandriana Rafitoson, a Malagasy researcher and Vice Chair of Transparency International, speaking from Washington.
“Commitments such as ‘We will hand over in two years’ are weak if unaccompanied by mechanisms that limit the junta’s capacity to entrench itself.”
Although many of the young protesters celebrated the fall of Rajoelina — who himself rose to power through a 2009 coup — some expressed unease about the military’s rapid intervention.
Even at Randrianirina’s inauguration, several Gen Z demonstrators turned up in their signature protest outfits, including T-shirts featuring the skull-and-straw-hat emblem from the Japanese manga One Piece, a symbol of rebellion among Malagasy youth.
“Not yet,” said Mioty Andrianambinintsoa, an 18-year-old student, standing outside the court as dignitaries draped in red, green, and white — the colors of the national flag — filed into waiting jeeps. “This is only a stage. Our aims haven’t been achieved.”
Fellow protester Francko Ramananvarivo, 23, added: “Our objective is to be led by a government that is close to the people. We are not there yet.”
Colonel Randrianirina commands the elite CAPSAT army unit, which played a crucial role in the 2009 coup that brought Rajoelina to power — though he was not directly involved at the time. During the recent unrest, he broke ranks with the president, refusing to order troops to fire on demonstrators and instead offering to protect them.
Madagascar’s history of political volatility is deeply intertwined with its demographic and economic challenges. The country’s median age is under 20, and more than three-quarters of its 30 million citizens live in poverty — one of the highest rates in the world.
Despite being rich in natural resources such as vanilla, nickel, sapphires, and ilmenite, Madagascar’s average annual income is just $600, and the cost of basic goods, including rice, has soared in recent years. According to the World Bank, between independence in 1960 and 2020, the country’s GDP per capita fell by nearly half, making it one of the few nations globally to have grown poorer over that period.
As Colonel Randrianirina assumes office, Madagascar faces a familiar test — whether the promise of reform and renewal under military rule will lead to lasting stability, or repeat the cycle of upheaval that has defined its post-independence history.
