Akhir 06 , 1432 H. / March 11, 2011 -- Madagascar's prime minister, Camille Vital, and his cabinet stepped down on Thursday, telling local media they wanted to clear the way for a successor who could be accepted by all political parties, according to dpa. President Andry Rajoelina, the 36-year-old former DJ who deposed the previous government in 2009 with military backing, told national TV on Thursday night he would appoint a replacement for Vital by the start of next week. Political parties have until Saturday to nominate candidates, but the final say lies with Rajoelina, the self-pronounced president who has failed to secure international legitimacy. This comes only one day after eight of the country's 11 big political groups signed an agreement on a possible way out of the political crisis. The three largest political groups, led by former presidents Marc Ravalomanana, Albert Zafy and Didier Ratsiraka, have turned down proposed solutions by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), saying that it gives Rajoelina too much power and would open doors for similarly illegal coups in Africa. Rajoelina's ruling style has been slammed as dictatorial by several critics.
