STORY: Rajoelina pledges to build stronger, more prosperous Madagascar
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 16, 2023
DATELINE: Dec. 17, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:28
LOCATION: Antananarivo
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. SOUNDBITE (French): ANDRY RAJOELINA, President of Madagascar
2. various of the inauguration ceremony

STORYLINE:

Re-elected President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar on Saturday pledged to lead the country to "build a stronger and more prosperous nation."

"I pledge to lead Madagascar with determination to build a stronger and more prosperous nation, and to work for its development," Rajoelina said in his national address during an inauguration ceremony in Barea Stadium, in Antananarivo, the capital city.

Declared on Dec. 1 by the High Constitutional Court as winner of the Nov. 16 presidential election with 58.96 percent of the votes, Rajoelina hailed the nation's "democratic maturity," noting that the process had been carried out calmly, "a sign of a nation which is determined to continue in an environment of peace and stability."

In his speech, Rajoelina mentioned three pillars -- human capital, industrialization and governance -- as part of his program for the next five years, aiming at "producing and transforming locally the daily needs of the population."

SOUNDBITE (French): ANDRY RAJOELINA, President of Madagascar
"We are going to accelerate the country's industrialization, improve the business climate, train young people on a massive scale and create jobs to improve living conditions, especially for the most vulnerable."

Rajoelina also vowed to fight corruption, underlining his firm commitment to the values of integrity, honesty and loyalty.

Rajoelina was the country's president from January 2019 to September 2023. He also served as mayor of Antananarivo.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Antananarivo.
(XHTV)