Madagascar Government - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Official name. Democratic Republic of Madagascar

Type: real authority in hands of the President, although Supreme Revolutionary Council is theoretically ultimate executive authority

Capital: Antananarivo

Political subdivisions: 6 provinces

Legal system: based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; constitution of 1959 modified in October 1972 by law establishing provisional government institutions, new constitution accepted by referendum in December 1975; legal education at National School of Law, University of Madagascar; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Independence Day, 26 June

Branches: executive—a 19-member Supreme Revolutionary Council (made up of military and political leaders); assisted by cabinet called Council of Ministers; unicameral legislative—Popular National Assembly; Military Committee for Development; regular courts are patterned after French system, and a High Council of Institutions reviews all legislation to determine its constitutional validity

Government leader: Adm. Didier RATS1RAKA, President (since June 1975); Lt. Col. Desire RAKOTO \RIJAONA, Prime Minister (since 1977)

Suffrage: universal over age 18

Elections-referendum held in December 1975 gave overwhelming approval to government and new constitution; elections for Popular National Assembly held in June 1977 and in August 1983; only one political group allowed to take part in the election. The National Front for the Defense of the Revolution, which presented a single list of candidates; a presidential election in November 1982 returned President Ratsiraka with an 80% majority, the challenger, Monja Jaona, received 20% and was later arrested after leading demonstrations to protest election fraud

Political parties and leaders: seven parties are now allowed limited political activity under the national front and are represented on the Supreme Revolutionary Council: Advance Guard of the Malagasy Revolution (AREMA), Didier Ratsiraka; Congress Party for Malagasy Independence (AKFM), Pastor Richard Andriamanjato; Movement for National Unity (VONJY), Dr. Marojama Razanabahiny; Malagasy Christian Demcratic Union (UDECMA), Norbert Andriamorasata; Militants for the Establishment of a Proletarian Regime (MFM), Manandafy Rakotonirina; National Movement for the Independence of Madagascar (ΜΟΝΙΜΑ), Monja Jaona; Socialist Organization ΜΟΝΙΜΑ (VS ΜΟΝΙΜΑ), Remanindry Jaona

Voting strength: 4.8 million registered voters (1982); in 1977 local elections, President Ratsiraka’s AREMA captured approximately 89.5% of the 73,000 available positions on 11,400 local executive committees; AKFM won about 7.3% of the seats, ΜΟΝΙΜΑ 1.7%, and VONJY 1.4%;

UDECMA won only about 45 seats; in the 1983 legislative election AREMA won 117 out of the 137 seats in the Popular National Assembly

Communists: Communist party of virtually no importance; small and vocal group of Communists has gained strong position in leadership of AKFM, the rank and file of which is non-Communist

Member of: AfDB, EAMA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,

INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

NOTE: The information regarding Madagascar on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Madagascar 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Madagascar 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.