ANTANANARIVO, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- The decree, announced by the transitional President Andry Rajoelina Saturday night, on the appointment of a consensus prime minister, Eugene Mangalaza, was canceled by the Madagascan State Council on Thursday.

    Midi, a French-language daily, reported on Friday that the State Council, which is the Supreme Court for appeals against decisions taken by a public authority, canceled on Thursday the presidential decree on the appointment of Eugene Mangalaza, as prime minister. Mangalaza is a professor of philosophy from the political camp led by former president Didier Ratsiraka.

    Rajoelina sacked his Prime Minister Monja Roindefo, appointed on Feb. 7, and named Mangalaza few hours after Roindefo announced on Saturday that he would not cede his post to anyone and he would run for the next presidential election.

    The ministers also declared on Saturday by their spokesman, Gilbert Raharizatovo, who is the Minister of Cultures and Heritages, that they would receive no more orders from Roindefo and government decisions would be taken at a government council.

    Though Roindefo said on Sunday that he would not remain forever in the prime minister seat, he asked the State Council last Monday to cancel the decree announced by Rajoelina on the appointment Mangalaza for a defect in form and procedure.

    In the request sent to the State Council, Roindefo also wrote that "the designation of Rajoelina as president of the Transition is still pending until the leaders of the four political camps sign the Maputo agreements."

    The main actors of the political crisis that has exploded last December in the country are namely the former Antananarivo mayor Andry Rajoelina and former presidents, Marc Ravalomanana, Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy.

    Besides Ravalomanana, the main political opponent of Rajoelina,it seems that Roindefo, which was the right arm of Rajoelina since Feb. 7, became a big obstacle for him.

    Rajoelina has postponed indefinitely his trip to Geneva, Switzerland, scheduled for Thursday, because Ravalomanana has refused to go to sign with Rajoelina, Ratsiraka and Zafy an agreement on sharing of seats in government and other transitional institutions.

    Ravalomanana has categorically refused any intention to leave the presidency of Madagascar, even the transition to Rajoelina.

    This morose transition, scheduled to last 15 months, would be completed by October 2010 to prepare in manner consensual, inclusive and transparent a presidential election to end the political crisis, according to several agreements signed by the four Madagascan stakeholders in Maputo, Mozambique last August 9, but the four leaders were not able to sign any agreement until now.

    Rajoelina, 35, came to power on March 21 by the support of the armed forces to replace Ravalomanana, who has not finished his second five-year presidential term due to two months of demonstrations led by Rajoelina.

    Ravalomanana, 60, became president of the island country in 2002 after 6-month stalemate with Ratsiraka, fled the country and has been living in exile in Swaziland and South Africa since last March 25.

    Ratsiraka, 73, who has been living in exile in Paris, France, since 2002, had been president for 21 years, from 1975 to 1991 and again from 1996 to 2001 while Zafy, 82, led the country from 1993 to 1996.