12 Facts About Jacques Sylla

Jacques Sylla was the Prime Minister of Madagascar under President Marc Ravalomanana from February 2002 to January 2007.

Jacques Sylla subsequently served as the President of the National Assembly of Madagascar from October 2007 to March 2009.

Jacques Sylla was the son of Albert Sylla, who served as Foreign Minister under Madagascar's first President, Philibert Tsiranana, until being killed in a plane crash in July 1967.

Jacques Sylla served as Foreign Minister himself from 1993 to 1996, under President Albert Zafy.

Jacques Sylla 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.

Jacques Sylla was a founder of the Toamasina section of the National Committee for the Observation of Elections.

Jacques Sylla backed Ravalomanana in the crisis that followed the December 2001 presidential election and argued Ravalomanana's case before the High Constitutional Court.

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

Jacques 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.

Jacques Sylla was a Catholic, a Cotier, and had dual Malagasy and French nationality.

Jacques Sylla ostensibly did so in the spirit of the Maputo agreement between Malagasy political leaders, which called for the creation of a national unity government, but the opposition denounced Rajoelina's appointments, and Sylla was considered to have completely broken with Ravalomanana.

Jacques Sylla died on 26 December 2009 at the age of 63 after a long illness.