Jacques Sylla

Jacques Hugues Sylla (born 1946) is the President of the National Assembly of Madagascar, having served since October 2007. He also served as the Prime Minister of Madagascar under President Marc Ravalomanana from February 2002 until January 2007.

Sylla was born on the island of Sainte-Marie, off the east coast of Madagascar. He is the son of Albert Sylla, who served as Foreign Minister under Madagascar's first president, Philibert Tsiranana, [http://www.afrique-express.com/archive/AUSTRALE/madagascar/madagascarpol/262jacquessylla.htm "Jacques Sylla reconduit Premier ministre"] , "Afrique Express", N° 262, January 15, 2003 fr icon.] Jean-Dominique Geslin, [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_afrique/article_jeune_afrique.asp?art_cle=LIN12082jacqunoitai0 "Jacques Sylla, diplomate par filiation."] , Jeuneafrique.com, August 12, 2002 fr icon.] until being killed in a plane crash in July 1967. He served as Foreign Minister himself from 1993 to 1996, under President Albert Zafy. He was an opponent of President Didier Ratsiraka and was one of the lawyers advising Marc Ravalomanana when he was elected Mayor of Antananarivo in 1999. Sylla was also a founder of the Toamasina section of the National Committee for the Observation of Elections. [http://www.afrique-express.com/archive/AUSTRALE/madagascar/madagascarbio/246jacquessally.htm "Jacques Sylla, le Premier ministre de Marc Ravalomanana"] , "Afrique Express", N° 246, March 14, 2002 fr icon.]

Sylla backed Ravalomanana in the crisis that followed the December 2001 presidential election and argued Ravalomanana's case before the High Constitutional Court. On February 26 2002, in the midst of the crisis, Ravalomanana named Sylla as Prime Minister, a few days after Ravalomanana declared himself president. [ [http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=30489 "MADAGASCAR: Ravalomanana swears in "prime minister""] , IRIN, February 26, 2002.] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1841557.stm "Rival Madagascar premier named"] , "BBC News Online", February 26, 2002.] After Ravalomanana was sworn in for a second time in early May, Sylla was reappointed as Prime Minister on May 9. [ [http://www.afrique-express.com/archive/AUSTRALE/madagascar/madagascarpol/250jacquessylla.htm "Jacques Sylla, reconduit Premier ministre, forme un gouvernement bien éloigné de l’ouverture politique"] , "Afrique Express", N° 250, May 24, 2002 fr icon.]

Later in 2002, Sylla became the Secretary General of the ruling Tiako I Madagasikara (TIM) party; this marked the first time that he had ever been a member of a political party.

Sylla resigned as Prime Minister on 19 January 2007, at the end of Ravalomanana's first term; his resignation was accepted by Ravalomanana, who appointed Charles Rabemananjara as Prime Minister on 20 January. [ [http://www.sobika.com/madagascar-informations/news_796.php "Charles RABEMANANJARA 1er Ministre de Madagascar" (presidential decrees)] , Sobika.com, January 20, 2007.]

In the September 2007 parliamentary election, Sylla stood as a TIM candidate in the Sainte-Marie constituency, [ [http://www.wanadoo.mg/actualite.php?articleId=320569 "T.I.M : Jacques Sylla candidat à Sainte-Marie"] , "Midi Madagasikara" (wanadoo.mg), August 14, 2007 fr icon.] [ [http://www.madagascar-tribune.com/S-abstenir-des-declarations,1537.html "Jacques Sylla devant les catholiques; S’abstenir des déclarations politiques"] , "Madagascar Tribune", N° 5632, August 16, 2007 fr icon.] [http://www.mira.gov.mg/election/resultat-legislatif-region-toamasina.php?c1=6&c2=20 Provisional results for Sainte-Marie] at Ministry of the Interior and Administrative Reform website fr icon.] winning with 51.04% of the vote according to provisional results. When the new session of the National Assembly began, Sylla was elected as President of the National Assembly on October 23 2007; he was the only candidate and received 123 votes from the 124 deputies present, with one blank vote. [ [http://www.madagascar-tribune.com/Jacques-Sylla-plebiscite,2530.html "Assemblée nationale; Jacques Sylla, plébiscité !"] , "Madagascar Tribune", October 24, 2007 fr icon.]

As President of the National Assembly, Sylla is an "ex officio" member of the national political bureau of TIM and therefore remained on the political bureau at TIM's May 2008 congress. [ [http://www.madagascar-tribune.com/Rajemison-ecarte,6676.html "Bureau politique du TIM; Rajemison écarté"] , "Madagascar Tribune", May 22, 2008 fr icon.]

Sylla is a Catholic, a Côtier, and has dual Malagasy and French nationality.

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