Madagascar: A Triumvirate to head the Transition Government

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies discusses a political agreement reached on 7 November to resolve Madagascar's political crisis through the establishment of a triumvirate to lead the transition government.

• On 7 November, Malagasy political actors agreed to a collegial leadership structure for the transition government. President Andy Rajoelina will share executive powers with two co-presidents, one representing the camp of former President Marc Ravalomanana and the other representing former President Albert Zafy's camp. While there is no explicit division of authority, all major decisions require the approval and signatures of all three leaders.
• The author expresses skepticism regarding the triumvirate model, citing a failed 1970 attempt in Benin where a presidential triumvirate ended in a 1972 coup by Lt Colonel Mathieu Kerekou. The author suggests that deep-seated antagonism among the four camps involved in the Addis Ababa talks may make this solution problematic.
• The political crisis, which began at the start of the year, remains unresolved despite the leadership agreement. Tensions are expected to persist over the appointment of strategic government portfolios, specifically Finance, Foreign Affairs, and Defense.
• The Southern African Development Community (SADC) influenced the negotiations by denying Andy Rajoelina a platform at the UN General Assembly in September, which pressured him to make concessions and seek a consensual resolution.
• The ultimate goal of the transitional arrangement is to hold credible elections by the end of 2010. The author notes that stability depends largely on the attitudes of Andy Rajoelina and Marc Ravalomanana, the most influential actors, though a potential alliance between Rajoelina and former President Didier Ratsiraka could create a powerful political force.

APA

Zounmenou, D. (n.d.). Madagascar: A Triumvirate to head the Transition Government. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/madagascar-a-triumvirate-to-head-the-transition-government

Chicago

Zounmenou, David. Madagascar: A Triumvirate to head the Transition Government. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/madagascar-a-triumvirate-to-head-the-transition-government.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Zounmenou |first1=David |title=Madagascar: A Triumvirate to head the Transition Government |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/iss-today/madagascar-a-triumvirate-to-head-the-transition-government |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{zounmenoundmadagascar, author = {Zounmenou, David}, title = {{Madagascar: A Triumvirate to head the Transition Government}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/iss-today/madagascar-a-triumvirate-to-head-the-transition-government}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }