|
|
GOVERNMENT
In March 1998, Malagasy voters approved a revised Constitution. The principal institutions of the Republic of Madagascar are a presidency, a parliament (National Assembly and Senate), a prime ministry and cabinet, and an independent judiciary. The president is elected by direct universal suffrage for a 5-year term, renewable twice. The next presidential election has been scheduled for December 3, 2006.
In Madagascar, the parliament has two chambers; the National Assembly and the Senate. The last National Assembly election was held on September 23, 2007, and marked a significant reform to the parliament. The National Assembly previously had 160 members, elected for a four-year term in single-member and two-member constituencies. However, in July 2007, just before the National Assembly elections, a council of ministers agreed to reduce the number of parliamentarians from 160 to 127. Consequently, few of the 116 districts elected more than one member. Antananarivo's six districts, however, each elected two deputies. The Senate has 33 members, with 22 members elected for a six-year term, 1 for each province by provincial electors, and 11 members appointed by the president.
The prime
minister and members of Parliament initiate legislation, and the
government executes it. The president can dissolve the National
Assembly. For its part, the National Assembly can pass a motion
of censure and require the prime minister and council of ministers
to step down. The Constitutional Court approves the constitutionality
of new laws.
In an effort to decentralize administration, the country's six provinces were dissolved in the constitutional referendum of 2007, in favor of 22 regions designated previously in 2004. Decentralization is a key element of Madagascar's development plans, and the transition is an ongoing process.
POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Madagascar's
first President, Philibert Tsiranana, was elected when his Social
Democratic Party gained power at independence in 1960 and was
reelected without opposition in March 1972. However, he resigned
only 2 months later in response to massive antigovernment demonstrations.
The unrest continued, and Tsiranana's successor, Gen. Gabriel
Ramanantsoa, resigned on February 5, 1975, handing over executive
power to Lt. Col. Richard Ratsimandrava, who was assassinated
6 days later. A provisional military directorate then ruled until
a new government was formed in June 1975, under Didier Ratsiraka.
During the 16 subsequent years of President Ratsiraka's rule,
Madagascar continued under a government committed to revolutionary
socialism based on the 1975 Constitution establishing a highly
centralized state. National elections in 1982 and 1989 returned
Ratsiraka for a second and third 7-year presidential term. For
much of this period, only limited and restrained political opposition
was tolerated, with no direct criticism of the president permitted
in the press.
With an easing of restrictions on political expression, beginning
in the late 1980s, the Ratsiraka regime came under increasing
pressure to make fundamental changes. In response to a deteriorating
economy, Ratsiraka relaxed socialist economic policies and instituted
some liberal, private-sector reforms. These, along with political
reforms like the elimination of press censorship in 1989 and
the formation of more political parties in 1990, were insufficient
to placate a growing opposition movement known as Hery Velona
or "Active Forces." A number of already existing political
parties and their leaders, among them Albert Zafy and Rakotoniaina
Manandafy, anchored this movement which was especially strong
in Antananarivo and the surrounding high plateau.
In response to largely peaceful mass demonstrations and crippling
general strikes, Ratsiraka replaced his prime minister in August
1991 but suffered an irreparable setback soon thereafter when
his troops fired on peaceful demonstrators marching on his suburban
palace, killing more than 30.
In an increasingly weakened position, Ratsiraka acceded to
negotiations on the formation of a transitional government.
The resulting "Panorama Convention" of October 31,
1991, stripped Ratsiraka of nearly all of his powers, created
interim institutions, and set an 18-month timetable for completing
a transition to a new form of constitutional government. The
High Constitutional Court was retained as the ultimate judicial
arbiter of the process.
In March 1992, a widely representative National Forum organized
by the Malagasy Christian Council of Churches (FFKM) drafted
a new Constitution. Troops guarding the proceedings clashed
with pro-Ratsiraka "federalists" who tried to disrupt
the forum in protest of draft constitutional provisions preventing
the incumbent president from running again. The text of the
new Constitution was put to a nationwide referendum in August
1992 and approved by a wide margin, despite efforts by federalists
to disrupt balloting in several coastal areas.
Presidential elections were held on November 25, 1992, after
the High Constitutional Court had ruled, over active forces
objections, that Ratsiraka could become a candidate. Runoff
elections were held in February 1993, and the leader of the
Hery Velona movement, Albert Zafy, defeated Ratsiraka. Zafy
was sworn in as President on March 27, 1993. After President
Zafy's impeachment by the National Assembly in 1996 and the
short quasi-presidency of Norbert Ratsirahonana, the 1997 elections
once again pitted Zafy and Ratsiraka, with Ratsiraka this time
emerging victorious. A National Assembly dominated by members
of President Ratsiraka'a political party AREMA subsequently
passed the 1998 Constitution, which considerably strengthened
the presidency.
In December 2001, a presidential election was held in which
both major candidates claimed victory. The Ministry of the Interior
declared incumbent Ratsiraka of the AREMA party victorious.
Marc Ravalomanana contested the results and claimed victory.
A political crisis followed in which Ratsiraka supporters cut
major transport routes from the primary port city to the capital
city, a stronghold of Ravalomanana support. Sporadic violence
and considerable economic disruption continued until July 2002
when Ratsiraka and several of his prominent supporters fled
to exile in France. In addition to political differences, ethnic
differences played a role in the crisis and continue to play
a role in politics. Ratsiraka is from the coastal Betsimisarka
tribe and Ravalomanana comes from the highland Merina tribe.
After the end of the 2002 political crisis, President Ravalomanana
began many reform projects, forcefully advocating "rapid
and durable development" and the launching of a battle
against corruption. December 2002 legislative elections gave
his newly formed TIM (Tiako-i-Madagasikara--I Love Madagascar)
Party a commanding majority in the National Assembly. November
2003 municipal elections were conducted freely, returning a
majority of supporters of the president, but also significant
numbers of independent and regional opposition figures.
Following the crisis of 2002, the President replaced provincial governors with appointed PDSs (Presidents des Delegations Speciales). This effectively put an end to the "autonomous provinces," although they nominally remain in place because they are included in the constitution. Subsequent legislation established a structure of 22 regions to decentralize administration. In September 2004, the government named 22 Regional Chiefs, reporting directly to the President, to implement its decentralization plans. Rumors about the dissolution of the autonomous provinces had been around for some time, and on April 4, 2007 a constitutional referendum was held, in which the majority of the voters backed a revised constitution without any provinces. The new regions will become the highest level of subdivision.
On March 17, 2009, President Ravalomanana stepped down, handing the government over to the military, which in turn conferred the presidency on opposition leader Andry Rajoelina. Rajoelina has declared himself “President of the High Transitional Authority” and pledged to hold presidential elections by October 2010, following a constitutional referendum and revision of the electoral code. The United States has condemned the unconstitutional and undemocratic change of power in Madagascar. We consider the recent series of events a military coup d’état.
Principal
Government Officials
HAT President--Andry Rajoelina
HAT Prime Minister--Roindefo Zafitsimivalo Monja
HAT Minister of Foreign Affairs--Ny Hasina Andriamanjato
HAT Minister of Finance and Budget--Benja Joas Razafimahaleo
HAT Minister of Commerce and Trade--Jean Claude Rakotonirina
HAT Minister of Justice--Christine Harijaona Razanamahasoa
HAT Minister of Environment, Water and Forests--Mariot Jean Florent Rakotovao
HAT Minister of Internal Security--Rémy Sylvain Organès Rakotomihantarizaka
HAT Minister of National Education--Julien Razafimanazato
HAT Minister of Tourism--Gilbert Harisoa Raharizatovo
Ambassador to the U.S.--Jocelyn B. Radifera
Ambassador to the UN--Zina Andrianarivelo-Razafy
Madagascar
maintains an embassy
in the United States at 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20008 (tel. 202-265-5525)
Type: Republic.
Independence: June 26, 1960.
Constitution: Entered into force in March 1998.
Branches: Executive--president, prime minister, cabinet. Legislative--National Assembly and Senate. Judicial--Supreme Court, High Court of Justice, Constitutional High Court.
Subdivisions: Six autonomous provinces (faritany).
Political parties: There are several political parties. In the September 2007 National Assembly elections, the I Love Madagascar (TIM) Party won a majority of seats.
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
National holiday: June 26.
|
|
|