Malagasy president ‘copy-pastes’ Sarkozy
by Agency Staff,
2014-01-29 06:07:00.0
ANTANANARIVO — Just days after taking office, Madagascar’s new president was accused on Monday of plagiarising parts of a speech by former French president Nicolas Sarkozy for his inaugural address.
Hery Rajaonarimampianina, the head of state with the longest surname in the world, used his maiden speech to urge reconciliation on the crisis-ridden island at the weekend, but his call sounded familiar to some sections of the Malagasy press.
"I ask my friends to leave me free, free to go to others, free to approach the person who never was my friend, who never belonged to our clan, to our political family, and sometimes even fought against us," said Mr Rajaonarimampianina.
But for a few changes, the same words were used by Mr Sarkozy in a speech he gave in early 2007, when he was campaigning for the French presidency.
In a front-page headline, local newspaper La Gazette pilloried the inaugural address as being "Sarkozy copy-pasted".
Mr Rajaonarimampianina’s campaign director, Jaobarison Randrianarivony, played down the incident.
"We don’t have too much to say about the issue. You can take a quote from a person when needed," he said. "Each to his or her taste; some people will have appreciated it, others may not have."
AFP
Madagascar's President Hery Rajaonarimampianina. Picture: AFP
ANTANANARIVO — Just days after taking office, Madagascar’s new president was accused on Monday of plagiarising parts of a speech by former French president Nicolas Sarkozy for his inaugural address.
Hery Rajaonarimampianina, the head of state with the longest surname in the world, used his maiden speech to urge reconciliation on the crisis-ridden island at the weekend, but his call sounded familiar to some sections of the Malagasy press.
"I ask my friends to leave me free, free to go to others, free to approach the person who never was my friend, who never belonged to our clan, to our political family, and sometimes even fought against us," said Mr Rajaonarimampianina.
But for a few changes, the same words were used by Mr Sarkozy in a speech he gave in early 2007, when he was campaigning for the French presidency.
In a front-page headline, local newspaper La Gazette pilloried the inaugural address as being "Sarkozy copy-pasted".
Mr Rajaonarimampianina’s campaign director, Jaobarison Randrianarivony, played down the incident.
"We don’t have too much to say about the issue. You can take a quote from a person when needed," he said. "Each to his or her taste; some people will have appreciated it, others may not have."
AFP
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