Madagascar’s Military Leader Mandates Lie Detector Tests for Ministerial Candidates
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar – In an unprecedented move to combat corruption, Madagascar’s military leader, President Michael Randrianirina, has announced that all candidates vying for ministerial positions in the new government must first pass a lie detector test.
The directive, announced over the weekend, is the latest in a series of sweeping changes instituted by the former army general, who seized control of the Indian Ocean nation in a coup in October. Randrianirina stated that the government has already procured a polygraph machine and hired a specialist to conduct the screenings.
“Transparency is not negotiable,” Randrianirina said in a public address. “Those who wish to serve the people must do so with integrity. The polygraph will serve as a gatekeeper to ensure that only those with clean intentions enter the halls of power.”
According to the new protocol, candidates will undergo the polygraph examination as an initial filter for their candidacy. Those who fail the test will be immediately disqualified from consideration, while those who pass will proceed to subsequent interviews and vetting processes.
The announcement follows the president’s earlier decision to dissolve the entire Cabinet and appoint a new prime minister. Randrianirina, who has faced international condemnation for the unconstitutional power grab, has pledged to oversee a transition period culminating in national elections within two years.
While the president frames the polygraph mandate as a pillar of his anti-corruption drive, the move has drawn mixed reactions. Legal experts in the capital, Antananarivo, have raised questions regarding the legal standing of such tests and the potential for false positives, though no official legal challenge has been mounted yet.
The administration has not yet released a timeline for when the screening process will begin, but officials indicate that the formation of the new government is expected to proceed in the coming weeks.
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