Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.
March 21, 2009

Madagascar Swears in New President
----------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=2307EC2:A6F02AD83191E160562AD7F596B7CBD85C6F54A6CF9DC2CA&
 
No foreign ambassadors attended ceremony in Antananarivo 
Andry Rajoelina (file photo)Former disc jockey Andry Rajoelina was sworn
in as Madagascar's new
president Saturday in front of tens of thousands of supporters at a
sports stadium. In a clear sign the international community is
not happy about the new government, no foreign ambassadors attended the
ceremony in the capital, Antananarivo. Mr. Rajoelina, who had
been the mayor of the capital city, took power this week after protests
and a loss of military support forced President Marc Ravalomanana to
resign. Many nations say Mr. Rajoelina's assumption of power was
nothing less than a coup. Their boycott of his swearing-in follows the
suspension of aid as a sign of their disapproval. Madagascar's
African neighbors have also expressed concern about the non-democratic
transition. Two regional groups, the African Union and the Southern
African Development Community, are taking or considering punitive
action. Madagascar's new prime minister, Monja Roindefo, is denying the
takeover was a coup. In
an interview with the French news agency (AFP), Mr. Roindefo said it
was a "direct expression of democracy, when representative democracy
does not express itself through the institutions."Mr. Rajoelina
has said he will hold elections within 24 months - a timeframe that
former colonial power France has criticized as too long.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.


.