Madagascar: Zafy and Ratsiraka governments (1992-2002)

Updated November 2005

From 1972 Madagascar had effectively undergone what the Bertelsmann Foundation (2005) calls "de-industrialisation" and had moved from being a middle-income country at independence to a "highly indebted least developed country". Its economic woes, trade deficits on the balance of payments, corruption at every level of governance and declining per capita income was compounded by the political unrest of the 1990's, which continued into the new millennium. The two fed into one another, with declining living standards leading to social unrest and social unrest undermining efforts at economic rehabilitation. Economic reform in the latter years of the Ratsiraka administration, focused on renewed privatisation of state firms and the setting up of an export processing zone, bore fruit in the form of sustained growth between 1991 and1996, but this was insufficient to make inroads into high levels of unemployment or raise per capita income (US State Department 2005, Mulford 1993).

The 1992 constitution that formed the basis of the Third Republic was to be the source of controversy and amendment in the next few years. Against the opposition of Ratsiraka the constitution provided for a unitary state, while attempts to bar Ratsiraka from standing for elections as president were overturned by the High Constitutional Court (Thomson Corporation 2005). President Zafy soon found himself at odds with his prime minister, Francisque Ravony. Since he was constitutionally unable to remove Ravony, and the National Assembly was unwilling to amend the constitution, he took his proposed constitutional amendment to the electorate in a 1995 referendum and received endorsement for the changes he proposed (Marcus 2004, Columbia Encyclopedia 2005).

Zafy's National Assembly coalition proved to be factitious and effective legislation to promote growth and modernization required by the IMF difficult to implement. Street demonstrations in early 1996, and calls for a military government, were in response to the deteriorating economic situation. His impeachment for corruption and unconstitutional exercise of power in July of 1996 was ratified by the High Constitutional Court in September (Marcus 2004, Bertelsmann Foundation 2005, Library of Congress 1994d, Columbia Encyclopedia 2005). Prime Minister Norbert Ratsirahonana became acting president until new presidential elections could be organised (Thomson Corporation 2005, Marcus 2004).

In the presidential elections of December 1996 Ratsiraka emerged as the front runner and in the runoff in 1997 Zafy was defeated by Ratsiraka (Marcus 2004, US State Department 2005). In pursuit of his federalist agenda, Ratsiraka called for a referendum in March 1998 to amend the constitution to strengthen the presidency in general, and in specific allow the president to dissolve parliament. He won the referendum with a narrow margin (51% as against 49%) (Marcus 2004). The legislature's control over the prime minister and cabinet were removed and presidential power to appoint senators expanded. Ratsiraka was then able to dissolve the National Assembly and parliamentary elections were held in May 1998. These resulted in Ratsiraka obtaining a majority, with his Vanguard of the Malagasy Revolution (AREMA) obtaining 63 seats. This in turn enabled him to pursue further changes in the direction of a federation although the competencies of the six provinces were left to the president to define (Marcus 2004, Thomson Corporation 2005, Columbia Encyclopedia 2005, Bertelsmann Foundation 2005).

References

BERTELSMANN FOUNDATION AND THE CENTER FOR APPLIED POLICY RESEARCH 2005 "Madagascar", IN Shaping Change - Strategies of Development and Transformation [www] http://www.bertelsmann-transformation-index.de/79.0.html?L=1 [opens new window] (accessed 23 Oct 2007).

COLUMBIA ENCYCLOPEDIA 2005 "Madagascar", Sixth edition, [www] http://www.bartleby.com/65/ma/Madagasc.html [opens new window] (accessed 23 Oct 2007).

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 1994d "The Second Republic, 1975-92" IN Country Study: Madagascar [www] http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+mg0016) [opens new window] (accessed 23 Oct 2007).

MARCUS, RR 2004 "Political Change in Madagascar: Populist Democracy or Neopatrimonialism by another name?", Institute of Security Studies, Occasional Paper 89, [www] http://www.iss.co.za/pubs/papers/89/Paper89.htm [opens new window] (accessed 23 Oct 2007).

MULFORD, MR 1992 "Madagascar: A Tradition of Continuity" [www] http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmulford/madag.htm [opens new window] (accessed 23 Oct 2007).

THOMSON CORPORATION 2005 "Madagascar: History" IN Encyclopedia of the Nations, [www] http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Madagascar-HISTORY.html [opens new window] (accessed 23 Oct 2007).

US STATE DEPARTMENT 2005 "Background Note: Madagascar" [www] http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5460.htm [opens new window] (accessed 23 Oct 2007).