A year after Madagascar's Gen Z protests and Rajoelina’s ouster, little promised change

On 12 October 2025, after eighteen days of protests, Rajoelina stepped down and left Madagascar aboard a French military aircraft.

The military then installed Colonel Michael Randrianirina, commander of the Capsat military unit, as “President of the Refoundation of the Republic of Madagascar”, pledging to hold elections within two years.

One year on, young activists who spearheaded the demonstrations, that were sparked by chronic water and electricity cuts, say there is little evidence of any “refoundation”.

“The basic demands still haven't been met,” Mihary Rakotondravelo, a prominent generation Z activist involved in the protests, told the AFP news agency.

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Rakotondravelo's group is represented on national consultation committees involved in the stalled process of drafting a new constitution.

The military government has pledged to have the new text in place ahead of presidential elections scheduled for late 2027.

The proposals are due to be presented in May before being put to a referendum, according to a timetable announced after the SADC regional bloc called in August for a “return to constitutional normalcy”.

Rajoelina, meanwhile, spends most of his time in exile in Dubai, seeking support from other African leaders.

In February he attended an official ceremony in Eswatini, whose king had described Rajoelina's ouster as unconstitutional, prompting anger from Madagascar's military rulers.

Rajoelina has few supporters in Madagascar. Most of his MPs have since defected to support the military, and his previous supporters have either fled the country or have been put in prison.

He has so far escaped prosecution, and although the Court of Accounts documented the diversion of public resources for the benefit of his inner circle, MPs never voted to impeach him.

(with AFP)