Madagascar has experienced significant political turmoil since gaining independence from France in 1960. There have been numerous presidential elections and changes in leadership, often accompanied by civil unrest and international intervention. The country's current leadership under Andry Rajoelina rose to power in 2009 amid protests but lacks full international recognition due to the unconstitutional nature of the transfer of power. Efforts at negotiations and transitional governments have so far failed to restore democratic elections.

1. Washington, DC
Madagascar’s Turbulent
Political History
by trad
hop
Red for Sovereignty, Green for
hope, White for purity.

4.  Madagascar lies in the Indian Ocean off
the southeast coast of Africa, opposite
Mozambique.
 Itis the world's fourth-largest
island, roughly twice the size of Arizona.
Madagascar is extremely biologically
diverse, with as many as 150,000
species of flora and fauna that are unique
to the island.
 The country's low-lying coastal area gives
way to a central plateau. The once

5.  Population: 21,926,221 (July 2011)
45% below 15 years
70% rural
80% under poverty level
 Religion
52% Traditional beliefs
41% Christian
7% Muslim
 Languages:
Formal languages are Malagasy and
French.

6.  Administratively, Madagascar is divided into
six provinces.
 There is a bicameral legislature.
 Governed under the constitution of 1992.
 The president is the head of the state and is
elected by popular vote for a five-year
term, and is eligible for a second term.
 The major political parties include
AREMA, LEADER, Fihaonana Party, TIM and
RPSD
 The government is headed by a prime

7.  The country is divided
into 6 Provinces:
• Antananarivo
4,637,000
• Fianarantsoa
3,366,000
• Toamasina
2,593,000
• Toliary 2,229,500
• Mahanjanga
1,734,000
• Antsiranana

8.  Natural
resources: graphite, chromites, coal, baux
ite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious
tones, mica, fish, hydropower .
 Agriculture
productions: coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cl
oves, cocoa, rice, cassava, beans, banana
s, peanuts; livestock products.
 Industrial productions: meat
processing, soap, breweries, tanneries, su

9.  1946 - Madagascar becomes an Overseas
Territory of France.
 1947 - Thousands are killed during the French
rebellion in the east.
 1958 - Madagascar votes for autonomy.
 June 1960 - Madagascar gains independence
with Philibert Tsiranana as president.
 May 1972 - Huge crowds led by students gather
in Tananarive, the capital, to demand Tsiranana's
resignation. Power is handed to army chief Gen
Gabriel Ramanantsoa, who heads a provisional
government.
 June 1975 - Didier Ratsiraka, a military
commander, becomes head of state.
 December 1975 - Ratsiraka is elected president

10.  Madagascar became a
French colony in 1896, but
regained its independence
in 1960.
 1975 Didier Ratsiraka
President of the Democratic
Republic of Madagascar.
Reelected in 1982 and
1989.
 Political turmoil in 1991
 Election of Albert Zafy in
1993
 During 1992-93, free
presidential and National
Assembly elections were

11.  August 1991 - Mass demonstrations and civil
service strikes start. Over 100,000 people march
on the presidential palace and the presidential
guard responds with gunfire and grenades.
 October 1991 - Ratsiraka remains president but
relinquishes power to Albert Zafy.
 March 1993 - Zafy is elected
president, defeating Ratsiraka.
 April 1996 - Thousands demonstrate against
Zafy amid calls for a military coup in the capital
city, Antananarivo.
 August 1996 - Zafy is impeached on allegations

12.  In 1997, in the second
presidential race, Didier
Ratsiraka returned to
the presidency
 The 2001 presidential
election was contested
between the followers
of Didier Ratsiraka and
Marc Ravalomanana.
 April 29, 2002 the High
Constitutional Court
announced Marc
Ravalomana winner
 December 2006
Presidential Elections

13.  February 1998 - Members of the
opposition, including Zafy, make an unsuccessful
attempt to impeach Ratsiraka.
 December 2001 - Ratsiraka faces Marc
Ravalomanana in the first round of the
presidential election.
 January 2002 - Daily protests pressure
Ratsiraka's government for a recount of
presidential election ballots. Madagascar's High
Constitutional Court certifies that Ravalomanana
got 46.2 percent of the votes and Ratsiraka got
40.8 percent - neither has the required majority
of 51 percent. A runoff is set within two months
but thousands of Ravalomanana's supporters
take to the streets in protest. Ravalomanana

14.  March 2002 - Ravalomanana forms a rival
government and calls an end to the national
strike.
 April 2002 - The Supreme Court annuls the
disputed results of the December 2001
presidential election and hands the presidency to
Ravalomanana. Ratsiraka refused to abide by
the decision.
 May 2002 - Ravalomanana is sworn in as
president. The international community shows
cautious support.
 June 2002 - Ratsiraka flees to France. He
returns and calls for fresh talks, but
Ravalomanana rejects.
 July 2002 - Ratsiraka seeks exile in

15.  July 2003 - After a year-long suspension
Madagascar is readmitted to the African Union
(AU).
 December 2003 - Ratsiraka, still in exile, is
sentenced to five years in prison for his role in
the 2002 political crisis.
 November 2006 - Tensions arose when an army
general's call for Ravalomanana to stand down
ahead of presidential.
 December 2006 - Ravalomanana wins the
presidential election with 55 percent of the
votes.

16.  January 2009 - Opposition leader Andry Rajoelina calls
on Ravalomanana to resign as president and proclaims
himself in charge of the country after thousands take to
the streets demanding a new government.
 February 2009 - Rajoelina and Ravalomanana meet to
resolve the crisis but talks stall. The AU warns it will
condemn any unconstitutional change of power.
 March 2009 - Madagascar's army chief issues a 72-hour
ultimatum to the feuding political leaders to resolve their
disputes or face military intervention. Ravalomanana
proposes a referendum as a solution; fearing further
unrest he resigns, ceding power to the military.
 Rajoelina assumes power with military and high court
backing. The AU and the Southern African Development

17.  April 2009 - Security
forces clash with
Ravalomanana
supporters.
 June 2009 -
Ravalomanana is
sentenced in absentia to
four years in prison for
abuse of office.
 August 2009 -
International mediators
broker a power-sharing
agreement between
Madagascar's political
rivals who agree to create

18.  October 2009 - Madagascar's opposing
political factions agree to retain Rajoelina
as head of the transitional government, but
will not allow him to run in presidential
elections. A consensus prime minister is
appointed.
 November 2009 - Madagascar's political rivals
meet in Addis Ababa, and agree on a transitional
consensus government until polls set for October
2010 (a pledge that he did not fulfill 2010).
 December 2009 - Rajoelina isolates himself

19.  Jan 2010 - Rajoelina snubs the African
Union's top diplomat, and again rejects calls
for consensus government.
 February 2010 - Rajoelina postpones the
parliamentary election until May. The AU
threatens Rajoelina and his administration
with sanctions unless the power-sharing deal
is implemented by 16 May 2010.
 March 2010 - Rajoelina fails to implement
power-sharing deal. The AU imposes targeted
sanctions on Rajoelina and his administration.
 2010 June - EU suspend development aid to
Madagascar in the absence of democratic
progress.

20.  2010 August - Exiled former president Marc
Ravalomanana is sentenced in absentia to life in
prison.
 2010 November - Voters in referendum endorse
new constitution that would allow de facto leader
Rajoelina to run for president.
 2011 September - Eight political parties sign
agreement intended to pave the way for elections to
be held within a year to re-establish democracy. The
deal leaves Mr. Rajoelina in charge of a transitional
authority until elections scheduled for March 2012. It
also allows for the return of exiled former president

21.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-
13864364
 http://www.irinnews.org/Madagascar
 http://www.state.gov/p/af/ci/ma/