We are now at a turning point,” Randrianirina said at a ceremony in the presidential palace broadcast on state television. Rajaonarivelo, drawn from the private sector, had been appointed in October shortly after Randrianirina seized power during protests that forced former President Andry Rajoelina to flee. The new prime minister, Rajaonarison, has led the Financial Intelligence Unit (SAMIFIN), which combats illicit financial flows, money laundering and terrorism financing, since 2021. In September, demonstrations against water and power shortages on the Indian Ocean island snowballed into a protest movement that the government failed to stop with a crackdown that resulted in several casualties. His transition plan calls for broad national consultations through 2026, the drafting of a new constitution, and presidential elections scheduled for late 2027. “I do not believe that this decision was taken entirely on the spur of the moment or solely under pressure from a particular group,” analyst and researcher Velomahanina Razakamaharavo, of the University of Reading, told the AFP news agency, saying calls for deeper reform and online campaigns were shaping the political climate.