To continue from where I left off…

In 1958 a referendum was held in which Madagascar voted to become an autonomous republic in the French community of overseas nations. This was just the needed stepping stone that finally lead to full independence on June 26, 1960, with Tsiranana as president. Only a few French advisors were left in ministries, but there was no mass exodus of the many thousands of French residents, and the life continued much as it had before.

Ten years later, Tsiranana was having problems and losing favor. The Merina were strongly opposed to continuing French influence and wanted to try socialism and establish Soviet links. The economy was in terrible shape and it seemed the only way Tsiranana could stay in power was by rigging elections. After brutally suppressing a southern uprising he was forced to hand over power to General Gabriel Ramantsoa, commander of the any.

Many of the ties with France were then eliminated and new ties with the USSR and China were established. The French farmers gave up and left with disastrous results on the economy. A series of coups followed with Admiral Didier Ratsiraka coming to power in 1975 and making a number of radical reforms. All ties with French were severed, most businesses were nationalized and Madagascar turned to the USSR for financial and military support. The last of the French residents fled, and with them went many of the country’s technical skills. The West reacted to these changes with universal condemnation and with Ratsiraka’s fear of his South African neighbor he strengthened his personal guard and installed anti-aircraft guns in the palace gardens. By the way, none of this was told to us by the tour guides as we visited the various places in Tana, the capital.

Madagascar’s main export at the time was rice but when Ratsiraka reduced the price paid to rice farmers, they in turn were reduced to subsistence farming instead and exports plummeted. In fact, Madagascar became an importer of rice and the people were going without since they could not afford its price.

The result of this was massive riots which peaked in 1985 when hundreds of dissatisfied youths trained in Kung Fu (don’t you love it!), clashed with the government run paramilitary youth, leaving dozens dead. The break up with Soviet Union in 1989 prompted Ratsiraka to do a quick turn around and new relations were formed with South Africa and some of the other western countries. Ratsiraka clung desperately to power for the next three years despite coup attempts, demonstrations and strikes that brought the ailing country to a halt.

In 1993, after a number of troubled elections, Professor Albert Zafy was elected president bring an end to the 17 years of rule by the Ratsiraka dictatorship. However Madagascar's economy failed to pick up and in 1996 the national assembly voted to impeach Zafy. He stood down to enable a new presidential election to be held.

In an election at the end of 1996 Zafy was defeated by his previous rival, the military dictator, Admiral Didier Ratsiraka. Legislative elections in May 1998 also gave control of the national assembly to a collation headed by Ratsiraka's party, AREMA or Avant-garde of the Malagasy Revolution.

The wheel of fate had come full circle from Ratsiraka's forced departure from office in 1991. But Madagascar's economic problems barely improved in the interim, and the island suffered devastating damage from two cyclones early in 2000.

The Dec. 2001 presidential election between incumbent president Didier Ratsiraka and Marc Ravalomanana, the mayor of Antananarivo, proved inconclusive and a runoff vote was scheduled. But Ravalomanana claimed the election was rigged, and in Feb. 2002 he declared himself president. In response, Ratsiraka proclaimed martial law and set up a rival capital in Toamasina. Madagascar in effect found itself with two presidents and two capitals. After a recount in April, the high constitutional court declared Ravalomanana the winner with 51.5% of the vote. Ratsiraka, after first refusing to accept the outcome, fled to France in July, and Madagascar's six-month civil war ended. In Dec. 2006, Ravalomanana won reelection with 54.8% of the vote.

New turmoil began when Andry Rajoelina was elected mayor of the capital in December 2007, defeating the president's candidate. Tension peaked between the two in Dec. 2008 when Ravalomanana, becoming increasingly autocratic, shuttered a television channel and radio station owned by Rajoelina. Rajoelina then staged weekly protests that grew increasingly violent. In Feb. 2009, Ravalomanana fired Rajoelina as mayor, and the opposition protests intensified, prompting Ravalomanana to submit power to the military in March. After a bitter power struggle with opposition leader Andry Rajoelina, the former mayor of the capital, Ravalomanana resigned as president in March 2009. He handed power over to the military, which in turn transferred control to Rajoelina, who then suspended Parliament. Rajoelina was 35 years-old at the time, making him the youngest president in the country's history. In August 2009, the two sides agreed to a power-sharing deal. However, the agreement was never implemented as supporters of Ravalomanana and Rajoelina bickered over the details and Rajoelina withdrew his support of the deal in December.

In November, 2010, Military officers, who had overthrown the government in 2009, claimed to have done so again by deposing of President Andry Rajoelina. Rajoelina responded by declaring on television that he is still in charge. He told reporters he was "not bothered by declarations from a handful of people."

In March, 2011, Rajoelina reappointed Camille Vital as prime minister of a transitional government, aiming to end a two-year political and economic crisis. The reappointment came after Vital and his government resigned because 8 of 11 political parties signed an agreement to form a new administration that would take the country to elections in either late 2011 or early 2012. Vital has been asked to form a new cabinet for the transitional government. The country has been in economic and political turmoil since Rajoeling replaced Ravalomanana, which led to Madagascar's suspension from the African Union and the South African Development Community. Aid from various donors has also been suspended.

In Oct. 2011, Prime Minister Albert Camille Vital and his government resigned. Omer Beriziky was named the new prime minister. Beriziky took office on Nov. 2, 2011.

On Dec. 2013, Madagascar held another presidential election. The presidential elections were a run-off between the top two candidates of an earlier round, Jean Louis Robinson and Hery Rajaonarimampianina. Rajaonarimampianina won the runoff, receiving 54% of the vote.

Rajaonarimampianina took office on Jan. 25, 2014. He previously served as Minister of Finance. He has been the CEO of Air Madagascar since 2011.

As you can see, the political turmoil caused by historical power grabs by the various players has caused Madagascar to remain a poverty stricken country and it has a questionable future going forward.