VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAN #0301/01 1131328
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231328Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY ANTANANARIVO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2362

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