by: Gowri Sunil

Local Editor

Beginning in late September, Madagascar’s military and Gen Z population have banded together to overthrow the country’s current president, Andry Rajoelina. So far, their military has removed Madagascar’s highest court, its electoral commission, and its Senate. In addition, they also suspended their Constitution, yet their National Assembly remains intact. 

The protests began as a result of Madagascar’s government’s inconsistently providing a reliable supply of water and electricity to its population. Inspired by recent Gen Z protests in Nepal, which was sparked by a social media ban, and protests in Kenya, the Gen Z population of Madagascar turned to protesting as well. Since Sept. 25, younger people have shown up in major Madagascar cities, including as the capital Antananarivo, to protest against what they describe as government corruption and the on-going struggles for basic necessities. 

At first, Madagascar’s security responded with strong force, reportedly killing 22 people, according to the United Nations. In efforts to subdue the protests, Rajoelina attempted to compromise by announcing he would fire his whole cabinet, yet the protestors persisted and continued to call for his resignation. Many of the young protesters found Rajoelina’s words hollow, with Rovatanjoniaina Valisoa Tsimaniva, a 21-year-old university student, stating, “It’s like everything he said was just a drunk man’s promises.” 

In the following days, Madagascar’s military began to side with the protestors. Videos on social media circulated displaying uniformed soldiers removing the barricades that once contained the protestors. On Oct. 14, government officials in the nation’s National Assembly began proceedings to impeach Rajoelina. In response, Rajoelina tried to dissolve the National Assembly, though this attempt led to a further loss of power.

 When Rajoelina refused to back down, Madagascar’s military announced they would take over as government, with Colonel Micheal Randrianirina sworn in as the interim president on Oct. 17. The military announced that they will take over for no more than one to two years, giving the nation time to form a new constitution as well as institutions, while taking into account the civilian opinions. 

As to the protest’s success so far, spokesperson for the youth movement, Edith Randriamandrato, elaborated: “Just the military, it wouldn’t have been possible. Just us, it would’ve taken months, even though we were ready for that. The turning point came from the convergence of both.” While Madagascar’s Gen Z protests have made strides in effecting change, they are clear to explain that they have not fully reached their milestone, but rather only the first step in reforming their government. 

(Sources: CNN, NY Times)