Why the demonstrations of generation Z forced the president to dismiss his government

Thousands of people in Madagascar went down to the streets in different parts of the country during last week in the largest wave of demonstrations that the nation of the Indian Ocean island has seen for more than 15 years.

What started as anger concerning the shortages of basic necessities quickly turned into one of the most serious challenges that President Andry Rajoelina is confronted, which has been in power, for the second time, since 2018. Monday, in response, he dismissed his government but which has not appeased the demonstrators.

At least 22 people were killed and more than 100 others injured in the troubles, according to the UN, although the Malagasy government has rejected these figures and described them as on the basis of “rumors and disinformation”.

Pressure began to build after the arrest on September 19 of two main politicians in the city, who had planned a peaceful demonstration in the capital, Antananarivo, on the problems of chronic power and water supply.

There have been daily breakdowns of several hours of services led by the public service company Jirama.

Many have seen their detention as an attempt to silence the legitimate dissent leading to the indignation of the public, with the cause taken by civil society groups and the formation of an online movement led by young people known as Gen Z Mada.

The demonstrations have since spread beyond Antananarivo, entering eight other cities of the island, without any sign of substitution.

Amagitant of banners, the demonstrators denounced the power outages and accused the government of not guaranteeing fundamental rights.

Activists also blamed widespread corruption in the electricity company for the electricity crisis.

Initially, Gen Z Mada coordinated what was going on through social media sites such as Facebook and Tiktok. A committee was created to organize other events following a meeting between the Z Mada generation, civil society groups and local politicians.

Other groups were involved once the demonstrations have started. Several unions, including the largest in the country, the solidarity of the Malagasy unions, have thrown their weight behind the movement led by young people.

Civil society organizations have called for talks led by the church to “prevent Madagascar from sinking into chaos or civil war”.

The head of the opposition, Siteny Randrianasoloniiko, and former President Marc Ravalomanana expressed their support for demonstrations in a rare joint declaration on Wednesday.

The two refused the offers to join the government of Rajoelina, saying that this decision would be a “betrayal” of the Malagasy people.

The demonstrators did not express a manifesto, but what started with anger at public services has evolved into a broader demand for political changes.

Many young people, confronted with unexpected and poorly paid jobs, called for the president’s resignation, blaming him for the problems they face.

Wednesday, demonstrators of the capital were seen to agitate flags and banners with the words “Rajoelina Out”.

A spokesperson for the Z Mada generation told the AFP news agency that he wanted the president to resign and “the cleaning of the National Assembly”.

They also want Rajoelina to assume the responsibility of those who would have been killed by the security forces.

Some social media users have also called for the dissolution of the electoral commission and the country’s Superior Court.

The security forces have maintained a strong presence through Antananarivo and other large cities, the police using tear gas and water cannons to disperse the demonstrators.

A twilight curfew was imposed in the capital after reports of violence and looting, in particular the shooting of the offices of the Ministry of Finance.

When Rajoelina dismissed his government, he accused some of his ministers of not having done their job properly.

The president called for his calm and promised that the World Bank would finance efforts to meet the frequent power outages.

He also undertook to support companies affected by looting and called for a dialogue with young people.

But his decision failed to appease the anger of the public, which intensified by the repression against the demonstrators.

Schools in the capital and neighboring districts were closed last week, for fear of climbing violence.

The authorities argue that rallies without formal authorization have risks for public order.

Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 75% of people living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.

According to the International Monetary Fund for Madagascar, the 30 million people in Madagascar have access to electricity.

A demonstrator told AFP that “the living conditions of Malagasy people deteriorate and get worse every day”.

Politicalist and human rights activist, Ketakandriana Rafitoson, told AFP news agency that the demonstrations were likely to drag and intensify if the authorities count on force to remove dissent instead of prioritizing responsibility.

She said that “the result risks political fragmentation, stronger nationalist rhetoric against perceived external interference and possible economic benefits”.

But by imposing fire covers and rejecting the reports of victims of the United Nations, the government could point out that it could double the repression rather than compromise.

Analysts claim that control of state media and key institutions could allow Rajoelina to survive the immediate dissent.

Governance experts claim that a critical tilting point would be whether the army refuses to repress the demonstrators.

The presidential spokesperson Lova Ranoromaro said on social networks that “we do not want a coup d’etat, because a coup d’etat destroys a nation, because a coup destroyed the future of our children”.

Madagascar was shaken by multiple uprisings since he acquired independence in 1960, in particular mass demonstrations in 2009 which forced the former president Ravalomana to resign and saw Rajoelina come to power for the first time.

Rajoelina was elected in office in 2018 and re -elected in 2023 in disputed surveys boycotted by the opposition.