MADAGASCAR: ADDITIONAL CABINET MEMBERS NAMED

UNCLAS ANTANANARIVO 000301 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/E-MBEYZEROV, INR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV MA SUBJECT: MADAGASCAR: ADDITIONAL CABINET MEMBERS NAMED REF: A) ANTANANARIVO 283 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: A second group of Madagascar's transition cabinet members was named on April 17, leaving only the mining, public works, agriculture/fisheries, and youth/sports portfolios unassigned. The cabinet now contains 21 ministers and one cabinet-level secretary of state, with several structural changes to the previous administration, including a newly-created ministry for the gendarme. The previously appointed Minister of Tourism has been reassigned to the ministry of communication and culture, and a replacement named. Following is a complete list of the current cabinet with biographical notes for the newly-appointed ministers; this cable updates and replaces reftel. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) HAT President Andry Rajoelina and his Prime Minister Roindefo Monja assert that the nomination of this second group was based on competency and regional balance. The overall ethnic balance remains almost evenly divided between coastal and highland groups: post estimates that there are 12 from highland and 10 from coastal ethnic groups. There are, however, only three women in the cabinet, down from four in the Ravalomanana government. ¶3. (SBU) Following are the cabinet members previously reported in reftel, with one reassignment as indicated (RAHARIZATOVO): - Prime Minister: Mr. Roindefo Zafitsimivalo MONJA. - Minister of Foreign Affairs: Mr. Ny Hasina ANDRIAMANJATO. - Minister of Finance and Budget: Mr. Benja Joas RAZAFIMAHALEO. - Minister of Commerce: Mr. Jean Claude RAKOTONIRINA. - Minister of Justice: Ms. Christine Harijaona RAZANAMAHASOA. - Minister of Environment and Forests: Mr. Mariot Jean Florent RAKOTOVAO. - Minister of Internal Security: Mr. Remy Sylvain Organes RAKOTOMIHANTARIZAKA. - Minister of National Education: Mr. Julien RAZAFIMANAZATO. - Minister of Post, Telecommunications and New Technology Development: Mr. Augustin Razafinarivo ANDRIAMANANORO. - Minister of Town Planning and Decentralization: Mr. Hajo Herivelona ANDRIANAINARIVELO. - Minister of the Interior and Administrative Reform: Mr. Masimana MANANTSOA. - Minister of Communication and Culture: Mr. Gilbert Harisoa RAHARIZATOVO, who was previously appointed Minister of Tourism ¶4. (SBU) Minister of Armed Forces: Colonel Noel RAKOTONANDRASANA is one of the leaders of the March mutiny that precipitated Rajoelina's coup. Rakotonandrasana served as the commander of the Intervention Force Regiment until 2007, before moving to a position in the general staff. The Ministry of Armed Forces now oversees the newly-established Secretary of State in Charge of the Gendarmerie (paragraph 5),who had previously been subordinate to the Minister of Internal Security. He commands widespread support among the mutineers, but his nomination is a challenge to the Malagasy military hierarchy, as he will be commanding higher-ranked, senior officers. Rakotonandrasana is from a highland ethnic group. ¶5. (SBU) Secretary of State in charge of the National Gendarmerie: General Claude RAVELOMANANA is a well-regarded former First Deputy Commander of the National Gendarmerie, and a member of the Armed Forces' Civic Education Committee. Ravelomanana was formerly the Technical Director at the General Direction of Road Security, Head of National Gendarmerie provincial command of Antsiranana, and a staffer at the Gendarmerie Command. He also served as a peacekeeper in Darfur. He is from the north-east, of a coastal ethnic group, and is well-known to the ambassador and others in the mission. ¶6. (SBU) Minister of Economy and Industry: Mr. Richard FIENENA is the president of the association of natives of the former province of Toliary, and well-regarded in the business community. He was recently an administrator in the state telephone company TELMA, and previously worked as General Director of Invest House Consulting. Fienena is known for his role as president of the privatization committee under Didier Ratsiraka, and secretary general of the Ministry of Private Sector and Privatization. He is from the western region of Menabe, and is of the Sakalava ethnic group. ¶7. (SBU) Minister of Population and Social Affairs: Ms. Nadine RAMAROSON is the daughter of Andre Ramaroson, the influential founder and CEO of the Malagasy soap company Savonnerie Tropicale, and served as sales manager there before entering politics in 2008. As the Secretary General of the National Economic and Social Council (CONECS),Ms. Ramaroson and her organization began opposing Ravalomanana several months before the current crisis started. In December 2008, she and Alain Ramaroson (her uncle, a current HAT member, and a well-known political figure) set up the Force for Democratic Change (FCD) to support Rajoelina. While officially supported by various social organizations, she is believed to have demanded this position as a "reward" for her active support to the TGV movement. She is from the Merina ethnic group. ¶8. (SBU) Minister of Transport: Mr. Roland RANJATOELINA is a member of the Leader Fanilo party, and was previously - but briefly -- the general manager of national airline Air Madagascar. In March 2002, he was named Managing Director of Air Madagascar, but resigned in August 2002 amid a scandal over the alleged embezzlement of USD 20 million. He is from a highland ethnic group. ¶9. (SBU) Minister of Water: Mr. Nirhy Lanto ANDRIAMAHAZO served as first deputy Mayor under Rajoelina in charge of security, finance, and administration, and comes from the AVI political party of Norbert Lala Ratsirahonana. He was instrumental to Rajoelina's election as Mayor in December 2007, and has been a critical advisor in Rajoelina's inner circle throughout the crisis. Andriamahazo is a lawyer, and holds a graduate degree in political science. He is a speaker at the National Magistracy School, and a board member of numerous companies including Air Madagascar and insurance companies ARO and Ny Havana. He is from the Merina ethnic group. ¶10. (SBU) Minister of Energy: Mr. Jean Rodolphe RAMANANTSOA was previously a director general in the same ministry under Ravalomanana. Ramanantsoa is the former president of the orientation council for the Rural Electrification Development Agency. He is from a highland ethnic group. ¶11. (SBU) Minister of Public Service, Labor and Social Law: Mr. William NOELSON. He is a magistrate, and a former advisor to the Supreme Court (the highest Malagasy civil and criminal court). He recently graduated from the fourth class of the Center for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies. Noelson is a native of the south-east, and of a coastal ethnic group. ¶12. (SBU) Minister of Health and Family Planning: Dr. Henri RANAIVOARISOA, of the AKFM Fanavaozana party, was originally appointed as one of the 41 HAT members before being named minister; it is not clear if he has given up his seat on the HAT now that he is in the cabinet. He was proposed by Ministry of Health staff as a respected member of the medical corps, and was known to be militantly anti-Ravalomanana within the Ministry of Health. He comes from the Merina ethnic group. ¶13. (SBU) Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research: Mr. Athanase TONGAVELO was a professor and researcher at the University of Antsiranana. He is president of the HAZOLAVA association, advisor to the Development and Ethics Club (CDE),and a member of the AVAMAMI association, composed of supporters of former president Albert Zafy who declined to join his party, UNDD. He is from the north, and comes from a coastal ethnic group. ¶14. (SBU) Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts: Ms. Irene Victoire ANDREAS. Andreas holds a degree in tourism science, and was previously General Director in the Ministry of Tourism, director of the "Maison du Tourisme de Madagascar," executive director of the National Tourism Office, administrator of the National Tourism and Hotel Institute, and co-founder of a tourism training center. She comes from a well-known family in the north-east, and is from the Betsimisaraka ethnic group. MARQUARDT