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Head of Madagascar's governing party resigns
Real estate news By Alain Iloniaina
Wed 10 Oct 2007, 13:42 GMT
The head of Madagascar's governing party said on Wednesday he had resigned, apparently paying the price for failing to stop in-fighting among the movement that leads the vast Indian Ocean island. "I am resigning as president of TIM," Solofonantenaina Razoarimihaja said by phone, citing "health reasons" for his decision. "Indeed, I had already tried to resign in February." Analysts, however, believe he left over squabbling within President Marc Ravalomanana's TIM (Tiako-i-Madagasikara) party. That had weakened the party and motivated the president to call parliamentary polls last month, where TIM tightened its grip.
Razoarimihaja said that Yvan Randriasandratriniony, the minister of decentralisation and territorial management, would act as the party's interim leader from Friday. Observers admire president Ravalomanana for his energy and proven business ability on the island, which suffered from corruption and isolation for several decades before he came to power in 2002. But they also question his authoritarian instincts. Key political opponents have been taken to court on charges related to corruption.
With a nascent mining boom and GDP growth expected to be 6.5 percent this year, Madagascar is the world's largest producer of vanilla and has a population of nearly 20 million. Jean Clement, a senator and member of the TIM party, said he would see how Randriasandratriniony managed the party, before deciding whether to lend his support. "We all know that Yvan Randriasandratriniony is a man of the president of the republic," he said.
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