Madagascar’s military ruler decrees that ministers must pass lie detector tests

Madagascar’s military president has said new ministers will have to pass lie detector tests to root out corrupt candidates, after he dismissed the prime minister and cabinet without explanation earlier this month.Michael Randrianirina came to power in a coup in October after weeks of youth-led protests under the banner “Madagascar" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="47033" data-entity-type="organization">Gen Z Madagascar”. However, young people were quickly disenchanted by his choice of government officials, which they saw as being part of the old, corrupt elite.Randrianirina told local media: “We have decided to use a polygraph. It is with this polygraph that the background integrity checks will be carried out.”The president said a new cabinet would be announced early next week. “We will know who is corrupt and who can help us, who is going to betray the youth struggle,” he said.A youth protester throws a teargas canister back at security forces during clashes in October. Photograph: Luis Tato/AFP/Getty ImagesMalagasy young people started protesting in September last year, first against water and power cuts, then demanding a complete overhaul of the political system. At least 22 people were killed in the first days of the protests, according to the UN.On 11 October, the elite military unit Capsat, in which Randrianirina was a colonel, came out in support of protesters. The next day, the president, Andry Rajoelina, reportedly fled the country for Dubai on a French military plane.Randrianirina was sworn in as interim president and has pledged to hold elections by late 2027. Gen Z activists have been pushing him to confirm the date, while criticising his appointments over their perceived ties to the previous regime.Randrianirina fired the prime minister and cabinet on 9 March, then announced on Sunday that the anti-corruption chief, Mamitiana Rajaonarison, would be the new prime minister. He and Rajaonarison would only interview ministerial candidates who passed a lie detector test, he said on Thursday.He said: “We’re not looking for someone who is 100% clean, but over 60%. That way, Madagascar will finally be able to develop.”One of the managers of Madagascar" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="47033" data-entity-type="organization">Gen Z Madagascar’s social media accounts expressed scepticism at the use of polygraphs. “It’s not even scientifically proven to work,” he said. “For me it’s just a joke and embarrassing.”He added: “We agree that the previous ministers weren’t good. We still have hope for the new ministers, but in general I think this regime is already better than the regime of Andry Rajoelina.”Madagascar is one of the world’s poorest countries, with a GDP per capita of just $545 (£408) in 2024, according to World Bank data. The island is rich in natural resources, including vanilla and precious gems, which campaigners say have been exploited by officials and corrupt businesspeople. The country ranked 148 out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s 2025 corruption perceptions index.Agence-France Presse and Associated Press contributed to this report