Antananarivo - On his first working day as Madagascar's interim president Thursday Andry Rajoelina dissolved the national assembly and senate in advance of new elections he says will be held within only two years.

Rajoelina, who ousted ex-president Marc Ravalomanana from power on Tuesday after a seven-week campaign of street protests, also appointed more ministers to his interim government, including one - the education minister - from Ravalomanana's administration.

The 35-year-old swept to power this week after the army leadership took his side in his power struggle with the president of seven years, whom the opposition accused of authoritarianism and misuse of public funds.

The manner of his arrival to power, through the street rather than the ballot box, has worried many in Madagascar and beyond.

The Southern African Development Community, the 15-country regional economic grouping of which Madagascar is a member, was meeting Thursday in Swaziland to discuss its response after early expressing regret at Ravalomanana's forced, but bloodless, departure.

The African Union's Peace and Security Council is meeting Friday to formulate its reaction.

After losing control of government and the army, Ravalomanana, 59, gave up power on Tuesday to a military directorate, which in turn passed it to his arch-rival. Madagascar's constitutional court on Wednesday ruled that the double-transfer was legal and that Rajoelina was the country's rightful interim leader.

Zambia was the first African country to denounce Rajoelina's leadership.

Zambia's Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande called Ravalomanana's ouster "a setback and danger to the entrenchment of democracy and constitutional rule on the continent."

Ravalomanana's whereabouts is still unknown since Tuesday. The new president has said he should be prosecuted for alleged crimes, including the use of lethal force against unarmed opposition demonstrators in recent weeks. His government has banned Ravalomanana's ministers from leaving the country. (dpa)