When President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar announced this week that he was firing his cabinet ministers, it was seen as an attempt to appease the thousands of mostly young people who had taken to the streets in recent days.
But far from pacifying the protesters, Mr. Rajoelina’s announcement seemed to deepen their resolve in calling for his resignation.
In the days since the announcement, thousands of young people have gathered in Antananarivo, the capital, demanding that Mr. Rajoelina step down for his failure to deliver basic needs, most notably reliable electricity and water.
The water cuts and power outages have become so bad, protesters say, that they are hampering their ability to keep up with their studies and feed themselves.
“He’s changed nothing,” said Rovatanjoniaina Valisoa Tsimaniva, a 21-year-old university student, who marched in the capital on Tuesday. “It’s like everything he said was just a drunk man’s promises. And we’re sick of it.”
Gen Z Madagascar, a youth-led group that has been coordinating some of the protests, called on Wednesday for civil servants to join the demonstrations and go on strike. The organization is drawing on the playbook of recent youth-led movements in Nepal, Indonesia and the Philippines, and even using the same grinning skull symbol.
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The post Madagascar’s Youth Won’t Back Down, Demanding President’s Resignation appeared first on New York Times.
