{{short description|Malagasy politician (1946–2009)}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = His Excellency | name = Jacques Sylla | image = Visit of Jacques Sylla, Malagasy Prime Minister, to the EC (P-010078 00-1) (cropped).jpg | caption = Sylla in 2003 | office = 14th President of the National Assembly of Madagascar | term_start = 24 October 2007 | term_end = 19 March 2009 | president = Marc Ravalomanana<br />Hyppolite Ramaroson {{small|(Acting)}}<br />Andry Rajoelina | predecessor = Samuel Mahafaritsy Rakatakaninina | successor = Andrianantoandro Raharinaivo {{small|(2010)}} | order1 = 19th | office1 = Prime Minister of Madagascar | term_start1 = 27 May 2002 | term_end1 = 20 January 2007 <br /> ''{{small|(Disputed with Tantely Andrianarivo from <br />26 February–31 May 2002)}}'' | president1 = Marc Ravalomanana | predecessor1 = Tantely Andrianarivo | successor1 = Charles Rabemananjara | birth_name = Jacque Hugues Sylla | birth_date = {{Birth date|1946|7|22|df=y}} | birth_place = Sainte Marie, French Madagascar | death_date = {{Death date and age|2009|12|26|1946|7|22|df=y}} | death_place = Antananarivo, Madagascar | party = Independent | father = Albert Sylla }} '''Jacques Hugues Sylla''' (22 July 1946 – 26 December 2009) was a Malagasy politician. He was the Prime Minister of Madagascar under President Marc Ravalomanana from February 2002 to January 2007. He subsequently served as the President of the National Assembly of Madagascar from October 2007 to March 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2193_07.htm|title=IPU PARLINE database: MADAGASCAR Antenimieram-Pirenena - Assemblée nationale (National Assembly) ELECTIONS IN 2007|website=archive.ipu.org}}</ref>
==Life and career== Sylla was born on 22 July 1946<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TiRtPAfauLwC&dq=Jacques+Sylla+22+juillet+1946&pg=PA425 | title=Les gens du pouvoir à Madagascar: État postcolonial, légitimités et territoire, 1956-2002 | isbn=978-2-8111-0213-5 | last1=Galibert | first1=Didier | date=2009 | publisher=KARTHALA Editions }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.linfo.re/ocean-indien/madagascar/jacques-sylla-est-mort | title=Jacques Sylla est mort }}</ref> on the island of Sainte-Marie, Analanjirofo,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hz5_1TLUVIAC&q=Jacques+Sylla+1946&pg=PA206|title = Madagascar, le duel: Journal des "deux cent jours" qui ont fait vaciller la nation malagasy", 16 décembre 2001-3 juillet 2002|isbn = 9782747544047|last1 = Rajoelina|first1 = Patrick|year = 2003| publisher=L'Harmattan }}</ref> off the east coast of Madagascar. He was the son of Albert Sylla, who served as Foreign Minister under Madagascar's first President, Philibert Tsiranana,<ref name=Reconduit>[http://www.afrique-express.com/archive/AUSTRALE/madagascar/madagascarpol/262jacquessylla.htm "Jacques Sylla reconduit Premier ministre"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927001908/http://www.afrique-express.com/archive/AUSTRALE/madagascar/madagascarpol/262jacquessylla.htm |date=2007-09-27 }}, ''Afrique Express'', number 262, January 15, 2003 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref><ref name=Fil>Jean-Dominique Geslin, [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_afrique/article_jeune_afrique.asp?art_cle=LIN12082jacqunoitai0 "Jacques Sylla, diplomate par filiation"], ''Jeune Afrique'', August 12, 2002 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> until being killed in a plane crash in July 1967.<ref name=Fil/> 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.<ref name=Reconduit/> Sylla was also a founder of the Toamasina section of the National Committee for the Observation of Elections.<ref name=Fil/><ref name=Jac>[http://www.afrique-express.com/archive/AUSTRALE/madagascar/madagascarbio/246jacquessally.htm "Jacques Sylla, le Premier ministre de Marc Ravalomanana"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070823225441/http://www.afrique-express.com/archive/AUSTRALE/madagascar/madagascarbio/246jacquessally.htm |date=2007-08-23 }}, ''Afrique Express'', number 246, March 14, 2002 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref>
Sylla backed Ravalomanana in the crisis that followed the December 2001 presidential election<ref name=Reconduit/><ref name=Fil/> and argued Ravalomanana's case before the High Constitutional Court.<ref name=Fil/> On February 26, 2002, in the midst of the crisis, Ravalomanana named Sylla as Prime Minister, a few days after Ravalomanana declared himself president.<ref>[http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=30489 "Madagascar: Ravalomanana swears in "prime minister""], IRIN, February 26, 2002.</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1841557.stm "Rival Madagascar premier named"], ''BBC News Online'', February 26, 2002.</ref> After Ravalomanana was sworn in for a second time in early May, Sylla was reappointed as Prime Minister on May 9.<ref>[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"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112040457/http://www.afrique-express.com/archive/AUSTRALE/madagascar/madagascarpol/250jacquessylla.htm |date=2007-11-12 }}, ''Afrique Express'', number 250, May 24, 2002 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref>
Later in 2002, Sylla became the Secretary General of the ruling Tiako I Madagasikara (TIM) party;<ref name=Reconduit/><ref name=Fil/> this marked the first time that he had ever been a member of a political party.<ref name=Fil/>
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.<ref>[http://www.sobika.com/madagascar-informations/news_796.php "Charles Rabemananjara 1er Ministre de Madagascar" (presidential decrees)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928175131/http://www.sobika.com/madagascar-informations/news_796.php |date=2007-09-28 }}, Sobika.com, January 20, 2007.</ref>
In the September 2007 parliamentary election, Sylla stood as a TIM candidate in the Sainte-Marie constituency,<ref>[http://www.wanadoo.mg/actualite.php?articleId=320569 "T.I.M : Jacques Sylla candidat à Sainte-Marie"]{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''Midi Madagasikara'', August 14, 2007 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref><ref>[http://www.madagascar-tribune.com/S-abstenir-des-declarations,1537.html "Jacques Sylla devant les catholiques; S’abstenir des déclarations politiques"], ''Madagascar Tribune'', number 5,632, August 16, 2007 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref><ref name=Results>[http://www.mira.gov.mg/election/resultat-legislatif-region-toamasina.php?c1=6&c2=20 Provisional results for Sainte-Marie]{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} at Ministry of the Interior and Administrative Reform website {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> winning with 51.04% of the vote according to provisional results.<ref name=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.<ref>[http://www.madagascar-tribune.com/Jacques-Sylla-plebiscite,2530.html "Assemblée nationale; Jacques Sylla, plébiscité !"], ''Madagascar Tribune'', October 24, 2007 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref>
As President of the National Assembly, Sylla was an ''ex officio'' member of the national political bureau of TIM and therefore remained on the political bureau at TIM's May 2008 congress.<ref>[http://www.madagascar-tribune.com/Rajemison-ecarte,6676.html "Bureau politique du TIM; Rajemison écarté"], ''Madagascar Tribune'', May 22, 2008 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref>
Sylla was a Catholic,<ref name=Reconduit/><ref name=Fil/> a Côtier,<ref name=Reconduit/> and had dual Malagasy and French nationality.<ref name=Fil/><ref name=Jac/>
===Role in 2009 political crisis=== During the 2009 Malagasy political crisis, Sylla participated in negotiations between President Ravalomanana and opposition leader Andry Rajoelina on February 24, 2009.<ref>[http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90855/6600419.html "Madagascan rivals fail to reach agreement in 3rd meeting"], Xinhua, February 25, 2009.</ref> Subsequently, at an opposition rally on March 14, 2009, Sylla announced that he was joining the opposition and said that Ravalomanana should resign;<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110724182910/http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE52D00Y20090314 "Madagascar opposition claims presidential authority"], Reuters, March 14, 2009.</ref><ref name=Trouble>Lovasa Rabary-Rakotondravony, [https://web.archive.org/web/20241126183529/https://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_2485745,00.html "Madagascar's leader in trouble"], Associated Press, March 15, 2009.</ref> according to Sylla, that was the only solution and "as President of the National Assembly, I have to recognise reality."<ref name=Trouble/>
Rajoelina appointed Sylla as President of the Transitional Congress on 8 September 2009; he also appointed a new government on the same date.<ref name=SADC>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140302182948/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i4zhPstqdP0-N4V6wrdwoILtMSaA "SADC 'rejects, condemns' new Madagascar govt"], AFP, 8 September 2009.</ref><ref name=Adhesion>[http://www.madagascar-tribune.com/Adhesion-de-Rajemison-Rakotomaharo,12687.html "Adhésion de Rajemison Rakotomaharo et Jacques Sylla"], ''Madagascar Tribune'', 9 September 2009 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> He ostensibly did so in the spirit of the Maputo agreement between Malagasy political leaders, which called for the creation of a national unity government,<ref name=Adhesion/> but the opposition denounced Rajoelina's appointments,<ref name=SADC/> and Sylla was considered to have completely broken with Ravalomanana.<ref name=Adhesion/>
Sylla died on 26 December 2009 at the age of 63 after a long illness.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2009/12/27/01011-20091227FILWWW00016-madagascar-deces-de-jacques-sylla.php | title= Madagascar: décès de Jacques Sylla | newspaper=Le Figaro | date=27 December 2009}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Tantely Andrianarivo}} {{s-ttl|title=Prime Minister of Madagascar|years=2002-2007}} {{s-aft|after=Charles Rabemananjara}} {{s-end}}
{{MadagascarPMs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sylla, Jacques}} Category:1946 births Category:2009 deaths Category:Presidents of the National Assembly (Madagascar) Category:Tiako I Madagasikara politicians Category:People from Analanjirofo Category:Malagasy Roman Catholics Category:Ministers of foreign affairs of Madagascar Category:Prime ministers of Madagascar