Hery Rajaonarimampianina Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids His Excellency Hery Rajaonarimampianina
Rajaonarimampianina in 2014

7th President of Madagascar
In office 25 January 2014 – 7 September 2018
Prime Minister	Omer Beriziky Roger Kolo Jean Ravelonarivo Olivier Solonandrasana Christian Ntsay
Preceded by	Andry Rajoelina
Succeeded by	Rivo Rakotovao (acting)

Personal details
Born	Hery Martial Rajaonarimampianina Rakotoarimanana (1958-11-06) 6 November 1958 (age 66) Antananarivo, Malagasy Republic
Political party	Hery Vaovao ho an'i Madagasikara
Spouse	Voahangy Rajaonarimampianina
Alma mater	University of Antananarivo University of Quebec, Trois-Rivieres
Website	Campaign website original link Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/heryvaovao/

Hery Martial Rajaonarimampianina Rakotoarimanana (born November 6, 1958) is a politician from Madagascar. He was the seventh President of Madagascar. He served from 2014 to 2018. He stepped down from his role to try and get re-elected.

Before becoming president, he was the Minister of Finance. He worked under President Andry Rajoelina. He was also the main candidate for Rajoelina's political group. This was during the 2013 presidential election. He won the election in the second round. He beat Jean-Louis Robinson, who was from Marc Ravalomanana's party. When he became president, Hery Rajaonarimampianina had the longest name for a head of state. His full name has 44 characters. His family name has 19 characters.

Early Life and Education
- Starting a Career in Accounting
Political Journey
Awards and Honors
See also

Early Life and Education

Hery Rajaonarimampianina grew up in a regular family. He lived in Sabotsy Namehana, a neighborhood in Antananarivo, Madagascar. In 1982, he earned an MBA degree. This was from the University of Antananarivo.

After that, he moved to Canada. There, he continued his studies in finance and accounting. He received a special diploma in accounting science in 1986. In 1991, he earned a Canadian Diploma of Accounting.

Starting a Career in Accounting

In 1991, Rajaonarimampianina returned to Madagascar. He began working as an accountant. He also became a director at a business school. This school was called the National Institute for Business Administration and Accounting Science (INSCAE). He also taught at the University of Antananarivo. He was also a teaching assistant at Metz University in France.

In 1995, Rajaonarimampianina started his own accounting company. It was called Auditeurs Associes – C.G.A. His company grew to have 50 partners. It worked with many businesses across Madagascar. It also helped groups with projects funded by international organizations.

In 2003, he was chosen to lead the Professional Order of Chartered Accountants. He also became Vice-President of the Superior Accounting Council. He was also an advisor for a committee that worked to protect honesty.

Political Journey

In 2009, Rajaonarimampianina became the Minister of Finance and Budget. This was a challenging time for Madagascar. Many international groups had stopped funding the country since 2008.

The 2013 Presidential Election

In 2013, Rajaonarimampianina started a political group. It was called "Hery Vaovao hoan'i Madagasikara," which means "New Forces for Madagascar." He then ran for president. There were 32 other people also running.

His main opponents included Andry Nirina Rajoelina. Rajoelina was from the ruling party. Another opponent was Jean-Louis Robinson. He was supported by former president Marc Ravalomanana. Two former Prime Ministers also ran against him.

In the first round of voting, Rajaonarimampianina received 15.62% of the votes. He came in second place after Robinson. The total votes for all candidates who were against former President Ravalomanana's party added up to 55%.

Before the second round, he brought his party members together. He also gained support from other important politicians. This included Roland Ratsiraka and Pierrot Rajaonarivelo. He also got support from Andry Rajoelina. Rajoelina was the sitting President at the time. Rajoelina could not run himself. This was because he had not submitted his paperwork on time.

In the second round, Hery Rajaonarimampianina quickly took the lead. The election results were announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission. International observers said the election was "free, transparent, reliable, and credible."

Attempt to Remove the President

On May 26, 2015, the Parliament of Madagascar voted. They wanted to remove the president from his job. They said he had broken constitutional rules and was not doing his job well. However, the constitutional court did not allow this. They said the accusations were not true and could not be accepted.

Religion and Politics in Madagascar

Some people criticized Rajaonarimampianina. They said he was threatening Madagascar's secular constitution. This means the government should not favor any religion. Critics pointed out that he sponsored church events. He also often appeared at churches during rallies.

However, this was not new in Madagascar's history. Previous presidents also used religious events to gain support. Rajaonarimampianina appeared at and supported events for major Christian groups. These included the Catholic Church and the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar. He also supported the Malagasy Lutheran Church and the Anglican Church. These groups have many followers in Madagascar. He did not focus on smaller religious groups.

The 2018 Presidential Election

On September 8, 2018, Rajaonarimampianina officially resigned from being president. He then announced he would run for president again in the 2018 election. According to Madagascar's constitution, a president who wants to run again must resign at least 60 days before the election. On his last day in office, Rajaonarimampianina appointed new army generals. He also named new ambassadors to China and Russia.