Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Reform & a New Optimism
Self-made millionaire Marc Ravalomanana began his path to success by pedalling around
hishometownonabicyclesellingpotsofhomemadeyoghurt.Bythetimehebecamemay-
or of Antananarivo in 1999, his company, Tiko, was the biggest producer of dairy products
in Madagascar.
At the World's Park Conference in Durban in 2003, then president Marc
Ravalomanana announced his intention to triple Madagascar's protected
areas, a commitment that remains on the agenda.
Ravalomanana announced his candidacy for the presidency of Madagascar under the
banner of his TIM party (which stands in Malagasy for 'I Love Madagascar') in December
2001 and went head to head with Didier Ratsiraka. Upon hearing the results, both men in-
sistedtheyhadwon;abitter six-monthstruggleforpowerensued.AsRavalomanana swore
himself in as president, Ratsiraka declared a state of emergency and imposed martial law.
The military eventually swung towards Ravalomanana, tipping the balance of power,
and in April 2002 the Malagasy High Constitutional Court declared Ravalomanana the out-
right winner. By August Ravalomanana's administration had received endorsement from
the UN, then won a convincing majority in elections for the National Assembly. Ratsiraka
refused to accept that the game was over but left for exile in France anyway.
Ravalomanana quickly set about his reform agenda, introducing a new currency (the
ariary). Foreign investors were cheered by a major hike in economic growth, and wooed by
laws that provided tax breaks and allowed foreigners to own land.
Ravalomananacomfortablywonasecondterminofficein2006;onthebackofhiselect-
oral success, he organised a referendum to change the constitution, many of the amend-
ments conferring on him more power (notably the option of standing for two more terms).
The referendum scraped by, but the opposition was outraged by what they saw as an in-
creasingly autocratic government.
The Coup
Despite growing discontent, in July 2008 Ravalomanana signed a 99-year lease with
Korean company Daewoo Logistics for 13,000 sq km of land for maize cultivation, half of
all arable land on the island. The deal caused consternation (and was later rescinded) in a
country where land customarily belongs to ancestors.
Once one of the largest companies in the country, Tiko, Marc Ravalo-
manana's yoghurt empire, was ransacked, pillaged and forced to suspend
operations following the uprisings of 2009. It was rumoured in 2011 that
Ravalomanana's son was keen to restart it.
