|
Madagascar politics provide a comprehensive picture of the political scenario of the country. Set against a political backdrop of years of colonization which ended in 1960, Madagascar politics refer to the various aspects related to the political domain of the island. First it was the French and later the British who had Madagascar under their control. It was only after a long and hard separatist struggle that Madagascar became an independent nation.
The first president of Madagascar, Philibert Tsirinan went out of power in 1972. This was followed by a military rule that continued for the next three years at the end of which the foreign minister of Madagascar, Didier Ratsiraka became the president. This event was a pivotal turning point in the politics of Madagascar. Under the presidency of Didier Ratsiraka the economy of Madagascar underwent a drastic fall. The economic crisis called for international aid.
When the unrest for political liberalization reached its zenith, President Ratsiraka had no option left but to surrender to the new democratic and pluralist constitution of the nation. The elections held immediately after the establishment of this new constitution witnessed the removal of President Ratsiraka by the public. This was another turning point in the politics of Madagascar. But he came back in 1996 after the impeachment of Albert Zafy.
The political system of Madagascar functions under a republican governmental framework. The government is divided into the legislative branch, the executive branch and the judicial branch. The executive consists of the president and the prime minister. A bicameral parliament with a Senate and a National Assembly forms the main aspect of the country's legislature. The courts contain the judicial powers with the apex court being the Supreme Court. The major political parties of Madagascar include AREMA, LEADER, Fihaonana Party, TIM and RPSD.
|
