Yvan Randriasandratriniony is a Malagasy politician who has been President of Tiako i Madagasikara (TIM), the ruling party, since October 2007. He was Minister of Agriculture, Breeding and Fishing from March 2002 to January 2004, Minister near the Presidency in charge of Decentralization and Regional Planning from January 2007 to April 2008, and President of the Senate of Madagascar from May 2008 to March 2009; he also served for a time as Ambassador to South Africa.
Following the December 2001 presidential election, which opposition candidate Marc Ravalomanana claimed to have won, Ravalomanana declared himself President, and on March 1, 2002 he named a government, which included Randriasandratriniony as Minister of Agriculture, Breeding and Fishing.[1] Randriasandratriniony remained in that position until he was replaced in the government named on January 5, 2004.[2] On June 30, 2004, he became Madagascar's Ambassador to South Africa.[3]
Randriasandratriniony was appointed Minister near the Presidency in charge of Decentralization and Regional Planning in the government named on January 25, 2007. He ranked second in the government, after Prime Minister Charles Rabemananjara.[4]
In the September 2007 parliamentary election, Randriasandratriniony stood as the TIM candidate in the Fianarantsoa I constituency,[5][6] which is considered an opposition stronghold.[6] According to provisional results, he won with 37.7% of the vote;[7][8] despite his victory, this was considered a relatively low score.[8]
Randriasandratriniony became the Interim National President of TIM on October 12, 2007, succeeding Solofonantenaina Razoarimihaja.[9] He retained his post as Minister near the Presidency in charge of Decentralization and Regional Planning in the government appointed on October 27, 2007.[10] As a TIM candidate, he was elected as a Senator from Haute Matsiatra region in the April 2008 Senate election;[11][12] in this indirect election, he received unanimous support from the 89 electors.[12] Randriasandratriniony was removed from his post as Minister near the Presidency in charge of Decentralization and Regional Planning in the government appointed on April 30, 2008.[13] Subsequently, Randriasandratriniony was elected as President of the Senate on May 6, 2008; as the sole candidate, he received the unanimous support of the 33 Senators who voted, and he took office immediately after the vote. On this occasion, Randriasandratriniony described himself as "a man of dialogue" and said that he was "ready to listen, even to those who do not share my political beliefs".[14]
He was officially elected as President of TIM on May 21, 2008, at the party's second national congress.[15]