Andry Rajoelina

Who is Andry Rajoelina?

Andry Nirina Rajoelina is the President of the High Transitional Authority of Madagascar. He became president on 21 March 2009 during a political crisis, having held the office of Mayor of Antananarivo for one year prior. Before entering the political arena, Rajoelina launched several successful enterprises, including a printing and advertising company called Injet in 1999 and the Viva radio and television networks in 2007. He began his career as an entrepreneur in his teenage years, first as a disc jockey at local clubs and parties, and later by organizing and promoting musical events in the capital.

Upon rising to power, Rajoelina dissolved the Senate and National Assembly and transferred their powers to a variety of new governance structures he made responsible for overseeing the transition toward a new constitutional authority. These administrative structures have repeatedly conflicted with the internationally mediated process to establish a transitional government of consensus. Voters approved a new constitution in a national referendum unilaterally organized by the Rajoelina administration in November 2010, ushering in the Fourth Republic and putting in place the conditions enabling Rajoelina to stand in the next general election. In January 2013 he announced his decision to abstain from running in the 2013 general election, but in May 2013 he reversed this decision and submitted his candidature. A special electoral court ruled in August 2013 that his candidature was invalid and that Rajoelina would not be permitted to run in the 2013 election. He has declared an interest in presenting himself as a presidential candidate in a future election.