The island nation of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean began a new era of political instability on Wednesday with plans by Army Colonel Michael Randrianirina to take over as president after a coup led by the military. Addressing a press conference, Randrianirina affirmed he would be sworn in within days after the High Constitutional Court invited him to be the nation’s leader. The dramatic twist unfolded after President Andry Rajoelina left the country over the weekend, creating a power vacuum that was quickly filled by the military. Rajoelina’s exit was the culmination of mass youth-led demonstrations that had crippled the capital and caused mass defectors within the security forces.
The political crisis laid bare long-standing grievances in Madagascar, where three out of every four members of the 30 million population live below the poverty line, despite the nation’s abundant natural riches. Randrianirina said the military had disbanded all government institutions except the National Assembly and issued a week of national mourning. The news came as thousands of youths continued to take over the streets in the capital, Antananarivo, protesting against political change and improved living conditions. Two sources close to the matter said that the inauguration could occur within the next 48 hours, although no date was officially announced. The transitional government has sketched out a plan to rule for a maximum of two years until new elections are held, but the specifics are few.
Military Seizes Power After Mass Protests by Young People
The fall of Rajoelina’s regime is the climax to a series of protests spanning weeks by largely Generation Z members, who demonstrated to push the president to step down. The demonstrations intensified with growing outrage over broken guarantees to fight corruption and shore up economic stability in one of the globe’s poorest countries. Randrianirina, a former commander of the special CAPSAT army division, defected from the government last week and made a public appeal for soldiers to abstain from violence against demonstrators. His defection was the turning point since other security units such as the paramilitary gendarmerie and police forces also defected, essentially leaving Rajoelina without the means of keeping control.
The rapid disintegration of government control took most commentators by surprise, even though tensions had been simmering for months. Rajoelina, who initially took office via a military takeover in 2009 aged just 34, had vowed to change the fortunes of Madagascar’s youth and eradicate systemic corruption. None of these promises was ever fulfilled, and living standards went into free fall under his rule. The median age in Madagascar is under 20 years, and this huge youth population has become increasingly frustrated with politicians who are unable to provide meaningful change. The demonstrators, who included students and young employees, called not only for a leadership change but for an overhaul of the political system that has been unable to remove Madagascar from poverty after decades of independence.
Former President Escapes as the World Looks On
Security sources have said that Rajoelina departed from Madagascar on Sunday on a French military plane in response to threats to his personal security. The deposed president, who rose to become the world’s youngest head of state when he overthrew him 16 years ago, has declined to make a formal resignation despite being impeached by parliament. Three opposition and diplomatic sources informed journalists that Rajoelina is believed to be in Dubai at present, although his whereabouts have not been officially verified. From exile, he has denounced the military coup and asserted that he is still the legitimate president, although his declarations have not succeeded in dampening the momentum of the transitional government in formation in Antananarivo.
The world now waits anxiously to observe how the transition will happen and if Madagascar can escape long-term instability. The nation has seen several coups and political crises since it won independence from France in 1960, and economic figures present a bleak picture of the road ahead. Madagascar’s GDP per capita, as measured by World Bank statistics, dropped 45 per cent from independence through 2020, one of the only nations on the planet to have suffered such a spectacular economic collapse over a period of six decades. Randrianirina has said a military-dominated committee will rule in tandem with a transitional civilian government, though the makeup of that government and its agenda are not yet clear. Colonel Rabemananjara’s own history of association with Rajoelina, having been one of the prime movers behind the 2009 coup that installed the deposed president in office, has made people wonder if this change is truly for the better or just another turnover in Madagascar’s bumpy political past.
FAQs
- Who is Michael Randrianirina and how did he become Madagascar’s leader?
Michael Randrianirina is a colonel in the army and a former commander of the elite CAPSAT military unit,
- Why did President Andry Rajoelina flee Madagascar?
Rajoelina left Madagascar on a French military aircraft after being subjected to widespread youth-led demonstrations calling for his resignation.
- For how long will the military regime remain in office?
Randrianirina said a military-dominated committee will rule Madagascar for up to two years.
- What triggered the protests that precipitated this political crisis?
The demonstrations were largely led by youths angry at poverty, corruption, and broken vows to better living conditions.
- Where is ex-President Rajoelina now?
Diplomatic and opposition sources say Rajoelina is thought to be in Dubai after he fled Madagascar.
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