Albert Zafy

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Albert Zafy (born 1927) is a Malagasy political figure. He was the president of Madagascar from March 27, 1993^[1] to September 5, 1996.^[2]

Zafy studied at the University of Montpellier in France. After his return to Madagascar he became Minister of Public Health and Social Affairs under Gabriel Ramanantsoa. After Didier Ratsiraka took power in 1975, Zafy resigned from the government and joined the University of Madagascar.^[3]

In 1988 he founded the National Union for Democracy and Development (UNDD). At a national conference of the opposition in 1990, Zafy was elected president of the Committee of Active Forces (CFV), a cooperation group of several opposition parties, including Zafy's UNDD. On July 16, 1991, the CFV declared the creation of an alternative government, with Zafy as its Prime Minister.^[3] Zafy was detained for a week in late July and was met with a crowd of about 100,000 supporters upon his release.^[4] He was subsequently wounded during a protest.^[3] The opposition was successful in forcing Ratsiraka to agree to the Panorama Convention, which established a transitional government and stripped Ratsiraka of most of his powers, on October 31, 1991.^[1] Zafy became head of the High Authority of the State,^[5] which, along with the Social and Economic Recovery Council, replaced the Supreme Revolutionary Council and the National Assembly during the transitional period.^[6][7]

In the multiparty presidential election held in November 1992, Zafy came in first place in the first round with about 45% of the vote; Ratsiraka came in second with about 29%.^[8] In the second round, held on February 10, 1993, Zafy won the presidency with 66.74% of the vote; he took office in late March. In June 1993, Zafy's supporters won a majority in parliamentary elections. In office, Zafy's rivalry with Prime Minister Francisque Ravony led him to seek increased powers, and in September 1995 a successful referendum was held that substantially increased the powers of the president. This gave him authority over the selection of the prime minister, a decision that was previously in the hands of the National Assembly; following the referendum, the National Assembly was required to send three names of candidates to the president, from which he could choose. The president also gained the ability to dismiss the prime minister without requiring new elections.^[1][8] Ravony resigned in the next month, and Zafy appointed Emmanuel Rakotovahiny, the head of the UNDD and the former Minister of State for Rural Development and Land Reform, in his place.^[9][10]

Zafy's time in office was widely seen as being marked by economic decline, which negatively impacted his popularity, and amid accusations of corruption and abuse of power,^[1] he was impeached by the National Assembly on July 26, 1996. The impeachment was backed by more than the necessary two-thirds of deputies; out of 134 deputies present, 99 voted in favor of the motion, 32 against it, and there were three null votes. On September 4, the High Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment.^[11] On September 5, Zafy announced that he would leave office on October 10, and he described his impeachment as a "constitutional coup d'état" that was done as a result of his criticism of the National Assembly. Although he could not delay his departure from office, he was able to stand as a candidate in the late 1996 presidential election called as a result of his impeachment.^[12]

In his campaign, Zafy blamed the problems faced by the country during his presidency on his opponents and the International Monetary Fund, and he downplayed the charges against him that had led to his impeachment. Although he had lost much of his support,^[12] in the first round of the election, held on November 3,^[8][12] he was able to take second place with 23.39% of the vote, behind Ratsiraka's 36.61%.^[8] Zafy received some support in the second round from those who, despite their criticisms of Zafy, felt he was preferable to Ratsiraka, such as Interim President Norbert Ratsirahonana, who had unsuccessfully stood as a candidate.^[12] In the second round, held on December 29, Zafy narrowly lost to Ratsiraka, taking 49.29% of the vote^[8] and losing by about 45,000 votes. He later alleged that the High Constitutional Court had switched the numbers for himself and Ratsiraka, and said that he not spoken of this at the time for the sake of peace.^[12]

Zafy led an attempt to impeach Ratsiraka in early 1998, accusing him of various charges, including perjury, nepotism, and violating the constitution in his moves to enhance the power of the presidency together with decentralization, at the expense of the National Assembly's power. The impeachment motion failed in the National Assembly on February 4, 1998 when only 60 deputies voted in favor of it, well short of the necessary 92. Zafy was elected to the National Assembly in the May 1998 parliamentary election.^[12] He also unsuccessfully sought the secession of Antsiranana Province from Madagascar around this time.^[12][13]

On August 31, 2001, Zafy announced that he would again run in the December 2001 presidential election.^[14] On this occasion, he took third place with about 5% of the vote.^[8] Opposition candidate Marc Ravalomanana prevailed in an extended dispute with Ratsiraka over the election results, and Ratsiraka fled into exile.^[1]

Zafy is presently the leader of the National Reconciliation Committee (CRN), which was founded in June 2002 to promote national reconciliation among the leading participants in the political crisis that followed the 2001 election.^[15] He and CRN are viewed as part of the radical opposition in Madagascar. Zafy has strongly criticized Ravalomanana and called for a new constitution.^[1]

A grenade exploded outside Zafy's home early on July 8, 2004, causing some damage but no injuries.^[16] This occurred in the midst of a series of grenade attacks across the country.^[16][17]

On December 8, 2006, Zafy's property was raided by police as part of the government's investigation regarding General Fidy, who allegedly attempted a coup in November, and presidential candidate Pety Rakotoniaina, both of whom the police sought to locate and arrest. Reacting to the raid, Zafy said that he did not recognize Ravalomanana as president and had never recognized him as such.^[18]

Zafy travelled to Paris in June 2007, where he met with Ratsiraka and members of his former government who are also in exile. He met with Ratsiraka on June 8, with AREMA leader Pierrot Rajaonarivelo on June 9, and with Tantely Andrianarivo, who served as Prime Minister under Ratsiraka, on June 11.^[19] He met with Ratsiraka and Andrianarivo again on June 25.^[20]

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v • d • e Presidents of Madagascar Tsiranana | Ramanantsoa | Ratsimandrava | Andriamahazo | Ratsiraka | Zafy | Ratsirahonana (interim) | Ratsiraka | Ravalomanana