page_title: Philibert Tsiranana
section_title: Promotion of the Franco-African Community
hierarchical_section_title: Philibert Tsiranana / Malagasy Republic within the French Community (1958–1960) / Promotion of the Franco-African Community
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Léopold Sédar Senghor.
context_page_description: Philibert Tsiranana was a Malagasy politician and leader, who served as the first President of Madagascar from 1959 to 1972.
  During the twelve years of his administration, the Republic of Madagascar experienced institutional stability that stood in contrast to the political turmoil many mainland African countries experienced in this period. This stability contributed to Tsiranana's popularity and his reputation as a remarkable statesman. Madagascar experienced moderate economic growth under his moderately socialist policies and came to be known as "the Happy Island." However, the electoral process was fraught with issues and his term ultimately terminated in a series of farmer and student protests that brought about the end of the First Republic and the establishment of the officially socialist Second Republic.
  The "benevolent schoolmaster" public image that Tsiranana cultivated disguised intense firmness that tended toward authoritarianism. Nonetheless, he remains an esteemed Malagasy political figure remembered throughout the country as its "Father of Independence."
context_section_description: Despite this activity, Tsiranana was more a supporter of strong autonomy rather than independence. He advocated a very moderate nationalism:
  We think that a well-prepared independence would have mixed value, because political independence too early would lead to a more atrocious form of dependence: economic dependence. We maintain trust in France and count on French talent to discover, when the time comes, a system comparable to that of the British Commonwealth. For, we Malagasy will never want to cut ourselves off from France. We are part of French culture and we want to remain French.
  — Tsiranana
  On his return to power in 1958, Charles de Gaulle decided to accelerate the process of decolonisation. The French Union was to be replaced by a new organisation. De Gaulle appointed a consultative committee, including many African and Malagasy politicians, on 23 July 1958. Its discussion concentrated essentially on the nature of the links between France and her former colonies. The Ivoirien Félix Houphouët-Boigny proposed the establishment of a Franco-African "Federation," while Léopold Sédar Senghor of Senegal pushed for a "confederation." In the end the concept of "community", suggested to Tsiranana by Raymond Janot, one of the editors of the Constitution of the Fifth Republic, which was chosen.
  Naturally, Tsiranana actively campaigned, along with the Union of Social Democrats of Madagascar (UDSM) led by senator Norbert Zafimahova, for the "yes" vote in the referendum on whether Madagascar should join the French Community, which was held on 28 September 1958. The "no" campaign was led by the Union of Malagasy Peoples (UPM). The "yes" vote won with 1,361,801 votes, compared to 391,166 votes for "no". On the basis of this vote, Tsiranana secured the repeal of the annexation law of 1896. On 14 October 1958, during a meeting of the provincial counsellors, Tsiranana proclaimed the autonomous Malagasy Republic, of which he became the provisional prime minister. The next day, the annexation law of 1896 was repealed.
caption: Léopold Sédar Senghor, deputy for Senegal (1946-1959)
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