International

Confusion in Madagascar as President, PM banter over resignation

Published

8 years ago

April 10, 2016

Confusion in Madagascar as President, PM banter over resignation

There is confusion in Madagascar following a statement from the president’s office saying that Prime Minister Jean Ravelonarivo and his cabinet has resigned – only for Ravelonarivo to deny that he has not resigned and his cabinet is still intact.

According Ravelonarivo, the president had earlier asked him to quit but he was yet to hand in a resignation letter as the president’s office gave no explanation for the reported resignations.

In July 2015 Ravelonarivo survived a bid to sack him after the opposition group Mapar filed a censure motion, saying it was frustrated by the slow pace of change in the Indian Ocean island nation rocked by power cuts, rampant unemployment and a stagnant economy.

Last Friday, Roger Ralala, the secretary general of the office of the presidency issued a statement saying; “The president has accepted the resignation of (the) prime minister and all members of the government (…) The current members of the government are dealing with current business until the appointment of new members of the government.”

In relaying his own side of the Ravelonarivo, an air force commander and businessman, said he is surprise that the Presidents office had announced his resignation.

“I met the president and he asked me to resign. I told him that I would like to talk to my family about it. I was then surprised to learn that I had resigned. So far, I have not signed any letter of resignation,” he told a news conference.

He did not say why the president had asked him to resign and did not say if or when he will hand in a resignation letter.

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