Editing Madagascar (section)

===Politics===
{{Main|Politics of Madagascar|Foreign relations of Madagascar|Human rights in Madagascar}}

[[File:Andry Rajoelina greeting crowd.jpg|thumb|190px|Madagascar's President [[Andry Rajoelina]]]]

Since Madagascar gained independence from France in 1960, the island's political transitions have been marked by numerous popular protests, several disputed elections, an impeachment, two military coups and one assassination. The island's recurrent political crises are often prolonged, with detrimental effects on the local economy, international relations and Malagasy living standards. The eight-month standoff between incumbent Ratsiraka and challenger Marc Ravalomanana following the 2001 presidential elections cost Madagascar millions of dollars in lost tourism and trade revenue as well as damage to infrastructure, such as bombed bridges and buildings damaged by arson.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=47721 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110613014315/http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=47721 |archive-date = 13 June 2011|url-status=live |title=MADAGASCAR: Former president sentenced to five years in prison |publisher=Irinnews.org |date= 17 December 2003 |access-date=25 April 2010}}</ref> [[2009 Malagasy protests|A series of protests]] led by Andry Rajoelina against Ravalomanana in early 2009 became violent, with more than 170 people killed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=83838 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110613015554/http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=83838 |archive-date = 13 June 2011 |url-status=live |title=Madagascar: Appeal launched despite political uncertainty |publisher=Irinnews.org |date= 7 April 2009 |access-date=25 April 2010}}</ref> Modern politics in Madagascar are colored by the history of Merina subjugation of coastal communities under their rule in the 19th century. The consequent tension between the highland and coastal populations has periodically flared up into isolated events of violence.<ref name=ethnicstrife>{{cite news |last = Leithead |first = Alastair |title = Ethnic strife rocks Madagascar |newspaper=BBC News |date = 14 May 2002 |url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1987383.stm |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120326234124/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1987383.stm |archive-date = 26 March 2012 |url-status=live |access-date =22 January 2012}}</ref>

Madagascar has historically been perceived as being on the margin of mainstream African affairs despite being a founding member of the [[Organisation of African Unity]], which was established in 1963 and dissolved in 2002 to be replaced by the [[African Union]]. Madagascar was not permitted to attend the first African Union summit because of a dispute over the results of the 2001 presidential election, but rejoined the African Union in July 2003 after a 14-month hiatus. Madagascar was again suspended by the African Union in March 2009 following the [[2009 Malagasy political crisis|unconstitutional transfer of executive power]] to Rajoelina.<ref>{{cite news |title = Pressure grows on Madagascar coup |work=BBC News |date = 20 March 2009 |url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7954356.stm |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110629015627/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7954356.stm |archive-date = 29 June 2011 |url-status=live |access-date =30 March 2009}}</ref> Madagascar is a member of the [[International Criminal Court]] with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the [[United States military]].<ref name=BGNote/> Eleven countries have established embassies in Madagascar, including France, the United Kingdom, the United States, China and India,<ref>{{cite web|title=Numéros utiles |publisher=AirMadagascar.com |date=28 January 2012 |url=http://www.airmadagascar.com/contact/numeros-utiles |access-date=28 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111226120416/http://www.airmadagascar.com/contact/numeros-utiles |archive-date=26 December 2011 |language=fr |url-status=dead}}</ref> while Madagascar has [[List of diplomatic missions of Madagascar|embassies in sixteen other countries]].

Human rights in Madagascar are protected under the constitution and the state is a signatory to numerous international agreements including the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]] and the [[Convention on the Rights of the Child]].<ref name=DOS/> Religious, ethnic and sexual minorities are protected under the law. Freedom of association and assembly are also guaranteed under the law, although in practice the denial of permits for public assembly has occasionally been used to impede political demonstrations.<ref name=CrossroadsMarcus/><ref name=DOS>{{cite web |author = ((Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor)) |title = 2010 Human Rights Report: Madagascar |publisher = U.S. Department of State |date = 8 April 2011 |url = https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/160130.pdf |access-date = 10 July 2011 |archive-date = 20 March 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200320140731/https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/160130.pdf |url-status = live }}</ref> Torture by security forces is rare and state repression is low relative to other countries with comparably few legal safeguards, although arbitrary arrests and the corruption of military and police officers remain problems. Ravalomanana's 2004 creation of BIANCO, an anti-corruption bureau, resulted in reduced corruption among Antananarivo's lower-level bureaucrats in particular, although high-level officials have not been prosecuted by the bureau.<ref name=CrossroadsMarcus/> Accusations of media [[censorship]] have risen due to the alleged restrictions on the coverage of government opposition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200904230849.html|title=''Madagascar: Media Under Attack One Month After New President Installed'', allafrica.com|access-date=2 May 2020|archive-date=13 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013163152/http://allafrica.com/stories/200904230849.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Some journalists have been arrested for allegedly spreading [[fake news]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Madagascar journalist Arphine Helisoa jailed on false news, incitement allegation |url=https://cpj.org/2020/04/madagascar-journalist-arphine-helisoa-jailed-on-fa.php |work=Committee to Protect Journalists |date=22 April 2020 |access-date=2 May 2020 |archive-date=1 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501132014/https://cpj.org/2020/04/madagascar-journalist-arphine-helisoa-jailed-on-fa.php |url-status=live }}</ref>