Mass protests in Madagascar over power cuts, water shortages and alleged corruption have put President Andry Rajoelina under growing pressure, with a youth-led movement giving him until Wednesday night to meet its demands or face a nationwide strike.
The ultimatum was issued by the Gen Z Madagascar collective, which has spearheaded almost two weeks of demonstrations. The group is demanding the removal of Senate president Richard Ravalomanana, a former police general, and investigations into businessman Mamy Ravatomanga, a close ally of the president.
"We reject all attempts at political diversion, notably the appointment of a new prime minister," the collective said in a statement.
It warned that if Rajoelina does not respond by the deadline, it will call a national general strike.
In a post on the movement's verified Facebook page, protesters also described the new prime minister's appointment as a "cosmetic manoeuvre".
The protests began on 25 September over chronic power and water shortages but have grown into a broader anti-government movement.
At least 22 people have been killed in clashes with security forces, according to the United Nations, though local authorities dispute that figure. A further 100 people have been injured, the UN said.
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Military appointment criticised
In an effort to calm the unrest, Rajoelina last week dismissed his entire government. On Monday he appointed army General Rufin Fortunat Zafisambo as prime minister and gave him six months to improve basic services and curb corruption.
The move failed to ease tensions. Firaisankina, the main opposition platform, called the choice "a provocation to the Malagasy people" and said the general could not represent "the total change of system" demanded by many.
"The president wants to convey that this is military power and civilians must stay in line," Princia Rakotontraibe, a 26-year-old medical intern, told the French news agency AFP at a rally in the capital Antananarivo on Tuesday.
Police later used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.
Dozens of protesters marched in the capital on Tuesday, according to privately owned digital news platform 2424.MG – a sharp drop from previous demonstrations, which have seen hundreds gather in cities across Madagascar.
Some told AFP they did not see the appointment as a sign Rajoelina was genuinely ready to tackle their demands.
"Changing the president halfway won't make a difference," Rakotontraibe said before the protest was dispersed.
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National dialogue planned
Rajoelina has launched a series of consultations since early October, meeting business leaders, senior officials and church leaders.
On Wednesday he was due to hold what he called a "national dialogue and consultation" at the Iavoloha presidential palace with spiritual leaders, students, youth representatives and others including journalists and cultural figures.
"Together, we must unite to fight against these evils and to build a new society founded on solidarity and mutual respect," Rajoelina said in a message on Tuesday on his office's Facebook page.
The talks would be held "to listen to people's concerns and to develop lasting solutions to the issues that affect us", he added.
But Gen Z Madagascar, which was not invited as part of the "vital forces" chosen by the president, has refused to participate until its demands are met. The Solidarité syndicale de Madagascar, the country's main labour coalition, has taken the same stance.
Around 300 civil society organisations have accused the government of trying to present a façade of dialogue while continuing to suppress protests.
"The consultation commits to nothing," Christiane Rafidinarivo, a political scientist and associate researcher at Sciences Po, told RFI.
She added that it could nonetheless be a signal to international partners that the president is open to dialogue.
Shift in demands
The Gen Z movement's ultimatum no longer includes its earlier call for Rajoelina to resign.
Some protesters say the shift reflects concerns about destabilising the country. In the past, demonstrators have called for Rajoelina to leave office, apologise to the nation and dissolve the senate and the election commission.
Ketakandriana Rafitoson, a political scientist, told AFP the protesters' new list of demands "provides a clear direction for the political aftermath of the crisis".
Inspired by similar Gen Z marches in Kenya and Nepal, the protests are the largest wave of unrest on the Indian Ocean island nation in recent years, giving voice to discontent over rampant poverty and high-level corruption.
Madagascar, where nearly three-quarters of the 32 million population lived below the poverty line in 2022 according to the World Bank, has a history of political upheaval and military rule.
Rajoelina himself was installed as interim president by the military in 2009 following a popular uprising.
