Malagasy Citizens Want Democracy, but Willing to Accept Military Intervention if Elected Leaders Abuse Power

Majorities of Malagasy citizens prefer democracy over any other type of political system, but a significant portion are willing to accept military intervention if elected leaders abuse their power. This is highlighted in a recent Afrobarometer survey conducted in late 2024, which found that 53% of respondents prefer democracy, while 13% believe a non-democratic government can sometimes be preferable, and 33% are indifferent to the type of government they have. The survey also revealed that 64% of citizens reject military rule as a system of government, but 60% see it as legitimate for the armed forces to take control of government when elected leaders abuse power.

Key Takeaways:

• A majority (53%) of Malagasy citizens prefer democracy over any other type of political system, with 13% believing a non-democratic government can sometimes be preferable, and 33% being indifferent to the type of government they have (Figure 1).
• Almost two-thirds (64%) of citizens reject military rule as a system of government, while 60% see it as legitimate for the armed forces to take control of government when elected leaders abuse power (Figure 3).
• In case of a military takeover, a plurality (45%) of respondents said the military should restore civilian rule as soon as possible, while 35% preferred a gradual transition and 20% said the military should rule as long as it deems necessary (Figure 4).
• The survey was conducted in October-November 2024 with a nationally representative sample of 1,200 adult citizens of Madagascar, yielding country-level results with a margin of error of +/-3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
• Afrobarometer's national partners, led by COEF-Ressources, conducted face-to-face interviews in the language of each respondent's choice.
• The Afrobarometer survey is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life.

Statistics:

• 53% of Malagasy citizens prefer democracy over any other type of political system
• 13% of Malagasy citizens believe a non-democratic government can sometimes be preferable
• 33% of Malagasy citizens are indifferent to the type of government they have (Figure 1)
• 64% of citizens reject military rule as a system of government (Figure 2)
• 60% of Malagasy citizens see it as legitimate for the armed forces to take control of government when elected leaders abuse power (Figure 3)
• 45% of respondents said the military should restore civilian rule as soon as possible in case of a military takeover (Figure 4)
• 35% of respondents preferred a gradual transition in case of a military takeover (Figure 4)
• 20% of respondents said the military should rule as long as it deems necessary in case of a military takeover (Figure 4)

Sources:

• Afrobarometer (www.Afrobarometer.org)
• COEF-Ressources
• Léa Rakotondraibe, Telephone: +261 32 14 119 23, Email: coef-re@moov.mg
• APO Group
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