Albert Zafy

Albert Zafy
Zafy in 2013
4th President of Madagascar
In office
27 March 1993 – 5 September 1996
Prime MinisterEmmanuel Rakotovahiny,
Francisque Ravony
Preceded byDidier Ratsiraka
Succeeded byNorbert Ratsirahonana (acting)
Personal details
Born(1927-05-01)1 May 1927
Betsihaka, Antsiranana Province, French Madagascar
Died13 October 2017(2017-10-13) (aged 90)
Saint-Pierre, Réunion
Political partyNational Reconciliation Committee (NRC) (2002–2017)
Other political
affiliations
National Union for Democracy and Development (UNDD) (before 2002)
SpouseThérèse Zafy
Alma materUniversity of Montpellier

Albert Zafy (1 May 1927 – 13 October 2017) was a Malagasy politician and educator who served as the fourth President of Madagascar from 1993 to 1996. In 1988, he founded the National Union for Democracy and Development (UNDD).[1]

In 1992, Zafy stood as a presidential candidate against President Didier Ratsiraka. The election soon became a run-off between the two candidates. In 1993, Zafy won the run-off election in a landslide, receiving 67% of the vote.[2] During his presidency, Zafy received poor polling numbers due to an economic decline with accusations of corruption in his office. He was impeached in 1996 and then defeated by Ratsiraka in the 1996 presidential election.[3] After leaving office, Zafy remained active in politics as an opposition leader under successive administrations.

  1. ^ Patrick Rajoelina, Madagascar, le duel (2003), page 206 (in French).
  2. ^ Richard R. Marcus, "Political change in Madagascar: populist democracy or neopatrimonialism by another name?" Archived 8 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Institute for Security Studies, Occasional Paper 89, August 2004.
  3. ^ Guy Arnold, Madagascar: Year in Review 1996, Britannica.com.