Madagascar Government and Politics

The Republic of Madagascar came into being with the establishment of the constitution of the nation in 1992. The constitution laid down the structural and functional set up of Madagascar government and politics.

Separation of powers between the three major branches of Madagascar government namely the executive, the legislature and judiciary were established for the smooth functioning of Madagascar political system. A multi party system and the protection of the fundamental rights of the citizens of the country were set up as the other segments of Madagascar politics.

The executive branch of the government of Madagascar consists of the President, the Prime Minister and other ministers functioning under them. The parliament which is the main part of the country’s legislative branch is a bi-cameral one. It is divided into the Senate and National Assembly. Local governance forms another major part of government and politics of Madagascar. Judicial power rests in the hands of the courts. The apex court is known as the Supreme Court. A multi party system along with an electoral system constitutes the other aspects of Madagascar government and politics.

Political System of Madagascar

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.

Madagascar Consulates

Madagascar Consulates control the foreign affairs of this fourth large island of the world. The consulates and embassies of Madagascar in other counties look after the economic and other interests of Madagascar. Visas are issued from the embassies.

The Address of the consulate in Thailand is (Hon. Consul Dr. Daniel E.H. Delevaux) ITF Palace, 30th Floor, Room 774, 160 Silom Roads, and Bangkok 10500. For Tunisia it is (Hon. Consul Habib Bouzouita) Rue 7321, No. 50, 1013 El Menzah 9B. In United States the office is located at (Hon. Consul monique Rodriguez) 1318 Santa Luisa Drive Solana Beach, CA 92075.

The office of Sweden is located at (Hon. Consul Marie Piper) Krageholm 271 90 Ystad Suede at Skomakaregatan 12-21134 Malmoe. For the Sri Lankan office the address is (Hon. Consul Mr. B.A. Mahipala) 52, Sir Marcus Fermando mawatha Colombo 07. In case of Spain it is (Hon. Consul Jorge Campins Figueras) Roger de Lluria, 85-pral.208009 Barcelona.

The address of the South Korean office is (Hon. Consul Woong Yeul Lee) kolon buildig Chung-Gu, Seoul. For the South African office it is (Hon. Consul Bary E. Rafatrolaza) 4, Thelma road Claremont 7708, Acpe Town, South Africa. The Singapore office is located at (Hon. Consul Toh Tian Lai) 15, Sennett Place, Singapore 466850

The Seychelles office is situated at (Hon. Consul Guy Lionnet) B.P. 68 Plaisance Mahe. The address of the office in Russia is Embassy of Madagascar Koursovoy Pereolok 5119034, Moscow. In Romania the office is located at (Hon. Consul General Serge Rameau) 141, rue Paul et Camille Thomaix Meuilly / Marne 93330 Bucharest.

There are many more consulates and embassies of Madagascar in different counties like Lebanon, Kenya, Japan, Italy, Israel, India, Hong Kong, Greece, Great Britain, Germany, Gabon, Canada, Australia, Austria etc.

Information about Madagascar is also found in these consulates and embassies of Madagascar. To empower the foreign relation of Madagascar is their main aim.

Madagascar Embassy around the World

The embassies of Madagascar are located in every continent of the world. In Africa there are Madagascar embassies in Algeria, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast and Mauritius. The embassies of Madagascar in Asia are located in China and Japan. In Europe the embassies are found in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. Madagascar embassies in North America include embassies in Canada, and the United States. The Madagascar embassies are a true reflection of the different faces of the country.