The republic of Madagascar occupies the island of the same name and minor adjacent islands in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. Area: 587,041 sq km (226,658 sq mi). Pop. (1995 est.): 14,763,000. Cap.: Antananarivo. Monetary unit: Malagasy franc, with (Oct. 6, 1995) a free rate of FMG 3,300 to U.S. $1 (FMG 5,217 = £1 sterling). President in 1995, Albert Zafy; prime ministers, Francisque Ravony and, from October 30, Emmanuel Rakotovahiny.
The need to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) so that the government could carry out its promise to tackle the economy led to demonstrations against Pres. Albert Zafy at the end of 1994. The opposition Movement for Proletarian Power called for the dismissal of Zafy as well as of the National Assembly president and the prime minister. The National Assembly president, Richard Andriamanjato, was accused of making "shady financial agreements" with the president, while Zafy himself was accused of overstepping his "constitutional powers."
On January 11 the governor of the central bank was dismissed following demands for his departure by the IMF and the World Bank, which accused him of various questionable financial deals. The minister of finance, José Yvon Raserijaona, also resigned. Prime Minister Francisque Ravony took over the Finance portfolio and stated his belief that negotiations with the IMF and World Bank could continue.
In August, following six weeks of political deadlock after the failure of a no-confidence motion against the prime minister by supporters of the president, an agreement between Zafy and Ravony was reached. Zafy accepted a new government in which his opponents would be in a majority. A referendum in September increased the president’s powers, notably to dismiss and appoint the prime minister. Ravony resigned on October 13, and Zafy appointed the agriculture minister, Emmanuel Rakotovahiny, on October 30. Rakotovahiny named his new government on November 10.
The death in January of British environmentalist Andrew Lees, who was campaigning to prevent the multinational mining firm RTZ from opening up the southern coastline near Tolanaro to mine titanium dioxide, highlighted the conflict between environmental preservation and mining development, since the operation would lead to the destruction of unique fauna and flora.