Madagascar's leader fires PM, cabinet

Madagascar's leader, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, has sacked his prime minister and dissolved the cabinet he appointed soon after seizing power following youth-led protests five months ago.

The colonel chose Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo, from the private sector, as prime minister after a military power grab that sent former president Andry Rajoelina fleeing in October.

Randrianirina "announces that, in accordance with the provisions of the constitution, the government is suspended from its duties," a presidency spokesperson said in a statement Monday.

A new prime minister will be appointed "shortly", he said, without providing a timeline or a reason for the dismissal.

Randrianirina came to power after demonstrations started in September against persistent water and power shortages and snowballed into a protest movement that the government tried to stop with a crackdown, leaving many people dead and injured.

The colonel has denied staging a coup, insisting the Constitutional Court "transferred power" to him, and has pledged a twoâ€'year transition period, according to a programme released at the end of February.

An initial phase of wide-ranging consultations until the end of 2026 was scheduled to lead to a draft new constitution and a presidential election due in the last quarter of 2027.

The African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) was due to convene a meeting Tuesday on Madagascar, marking its fourth since October.

Randrianirina has moved swiftly to court new diplomatic alliances, declaring a "new era of cooperation" during an official visit to Moscow last month where he was received by President Vladimir Putin.

Days later in Paris, he and President Emmanuel Macron announced a "renewed" and "balanced" partnership with France, the former colonial power.