Madagascar: Roots of the Turmoil
Written byLova Rakotomalala
Stephen Ellis, co-author (with Solofo Randrianja) of Madagascar: A Short History, explains that Ravalomanana's removal can be attributed to two main factors: his use of presidential power to further business interests and his alienation of the provincial political class and the armed forces.
Written byLova Rakotomalala
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6 comments
And nothing of Ratsiraka and French?
I agree with you.
Can anyone cite one president in the world who has not taken advantages from his position ?
Anyway,I have the same question as John Bogen: and what about Ratsiraka and his cabinet who ruled the country for more than 25 years and left nothing than disaster, poverty, corruption ………..- and the French?,
President Ravalomanana has at least left much more than the former three presidents and other 2 or 3 heads of state altogether! Whatever he may have done wrong, the majority of Malagasy people still want him back more than ever . He is the only one who made us proud of being Malagasy.
I certainly understand all the points made here. I also would aknowledge that he is still the elected president. The point in the link is to try to understand the reason for the unhappiness of part of the Malagasy people. It seems reasonable to argue that Ravalomanana’s POV will need to be accounted for if we want to move towards real progress
I agree for his selfishness and greediness more than any former presidents, with his increasingly authoritarian and dictatorship; changing constitution without considering the citizens and all the rests are just ally-mongers by surfers. There are some who want him back because of their deepening racism affiliation and trend!!! If you say impoverishing the Gasy, Ravalomanana did it in a supersonic way in only 7 years, and alienating all political parties while successfully putting in jail those who had different views of the situations. What we see is only failures and failures and above all he intend to sell our arable lands.
Throughout the colonial rule of the French and the French supported dictatorship of the Ratsiraka era the Malagasy people couldn’t look a vazaha in the eye. Along with much better roads, schools and hospitals President Ravalamanana showed us a way to stand up!
Yes, of course, no President or government is perfect but even now the vast majority want our President back. There is no question about that.
Sadly, what little remained after the years of rape by the French and Ratsiraka (and his family) is now being taken by the mafia and gangsters.
Where is the rosewood and ebony going? China?
Who allowed the most dangerous criminals out of the prisons near Antananarivo? Lawlessness continues; will Antananarivo soon be like Nairobi?
When will the madness end?