Madagascar: Presidential flags

Last modified: 2002-05-31 by jarig bakker
Keywords: madagascar | president |
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• List of presidents
• Presidential Flag 1959 - obverse and reverse
• Presidential Flag 1960-1975 - Obverse and Reverse
• Presidential Flag 1975 - obverse and reverse
• Presidential Flag 1993 - obverse and reverse
• Presidential Flag 1997 - obverse

• Madagascar

List of presidents

In early days of autonomy the presidential flag was simple national tricolour with golden fringe. [No image here]
Zeljko Heimer, 20 May 2000

Presidential Flag 1959 - obverse

Some time after the 24-Dec-1959, when the "coat of arms" was adopted, the new flag was devised (that may easily be only in 1960 as suggested on FOTW), containing in the middle of the white stripes the golden emblem, above it initials R.M. (for Repoblika Malgasy/Repoublique Malagashe in Malagashe and French) and belove the initials of the president, at that time Ph.T. for Philibert Tsiranana. The reverse was the same, but I guess that the letters were readable therefrom, too. I assumed the same serifed font used as in the next flag. This flag was used presumably until 1972.
Zeljko Heimer, 20 May 2000

Presidential Flag 1959 - reverse

Presidential Flag 1960-1975 - Obverse

The flag of the President of Madagascar showed the arms in gold on the white stripe. The initials of the country appear above the arms while those of the president showed below the arms.
Paige Herring, 1 January 1999

At our page <mg.html>, we read about the images <mg-60pro.gif> and <mg-60prr.gif> <<The flag of the President of Madagascar showed the arms in gold on the white stripe.>> Since the image shows it in normal yellow (bad contrast on the white background), I changed it to dark yellow to emulate "gold" and improve contrast. I changed also the shade of red to
match the national flag's. Credit kept to Paige Herring.
Antonio Martins, 3 Apr 2000

In 1972 Gabriel Ramanantsoa took the power, and the flag devised for him was similar on obvers, only changing the initials to G. R., but now a new reverse was made - being the national flag with the national motto consisting of three words in two arcs (two above and one belove). Such basical design was retained since, changing the words in motto and changing the emblem and initials on the obverse. The motto here was Fahafahana Tanindrazana / Fandrosoana said to mean Liberty-Fatherland-Progress.
Zeljko Heimer, 20 May 2000

Presidential Flag 1960-1975 - Reverse

The reverse of the presidential flag had the national motto inscribed in gold. "Liberty" and "Fatherland" arcs over "Progress."
Paige Herring, 1 January 1999

The presidential flag posted was adopted 1972, when general Gabriel Ramanantsoa take the power. The reverse was created new, with the motto, and the observe was similar to the previous one. Before 1972 the reverse was the same that the observe.
The first president was Philibert Tsiranana. The standart was 1958-59 the national flag with golden fringe in three sides. 24 Dec 1959 was adopted new badge, and later (unknow date) a standart (similar to the observe posted) but with the initials "Ph T" (same design in observe and reverse).
Is not know if Richard Ratsimandrava (some days in February 1975) and Gral. Andriamahazo (February-June1975) has standart, but is supposed that they don't have.
Didier Ratsiraka adopted presidential standart with diferent emblem, initials (RDM and DR), and motto in reverse, probably after 30-12-1975. The moto was changed to "Tanindrazana, Tolompiavotana, Fahafahana" (Liberty, progress, justice?)
Jaume Ollé, 6 January 1999

So  there have been 4 presidential flags in Madagascar:

• 1958-1959: fringed national flag
• 1959-1960(?): identical reverse, "Ph.T." instead of "G.R."
• 1972-1976(?): the designs refered above
• 1976-current: Initials "R.D.M." and "R.D.", motto "Tanindrazana,  Tolompiavotana, Fahafahana"

Presidential Flag 1975 - obverse

It seems that Richard Ratsimandrava and Gilles Andriamahazo, each ruling for short time in 1975, did not have time to introduce any flag of their own. I do not know what was the legal situation in those changes of the presidents, and what is the legal provision regarding the presidential flag, but if it is there prescribed that the flag contains the initials, and does not need a special act to make it valid, it may be that even if the flags were never really made, they existed in theory, with initials R.R. and G.A. But, that may be a bit far fetched.

In 1975 Didier Ratsiraka took power and proclaimed Democratic Republic of Madagascar (so called Second Republic). The new national emblem was made, probably only in 1976, that replaced the previous one in the presidential flag. The initials above were now R.D.M. (Repoblika Demokratika Malagasy) and D.R. below. The national motto on revers (contained also in the emblem on obverse) Tanindrazana Tolompiavotana / Fahafahana meaning Fatherland-Revolution-Liberty [smi82c] (and not
"Liberty, progress, justice?" as questionmarked in [mg-oll]). This flag was in use in theory until 12 Sep 1992 when the word "Democratic" was removed from the country name, but I guess that no new flag was made for Didier Ratsiraka who was president until 27 Mar 1993.

Presidential Flag 1975 - reverse

Presidential Flag 1993 - obverse

In 1993 Albert Zafy was elected president, and presumable the new emblems were already ready. The new coat of arms - yellow disk containing modernised redention of the elements present in 1959 emblem, with new motto and geographical map of the country in white disk in the middle is now set in the point where red, green and white meet, much larger then before (my estimate is the the dismeter is now 1/2 of hoist). The initials still in white field above are again R.M. (now for Repoblikan'i Madagasikara), and below Z.A. for president Zafy. The fonts that seems to be in use now are sans-serif. On reverse the new motto from the emblem is repeated: Tanindrazana Fahafahana / Fahamarinana meaning Fatherland-Liberty-Justice [pay]. The flag was in use until 1996.
Zeljko Heimer, 20 May 2000

Presidential Flag 1993 - reverse

Presidential Flag 1997 - obverse

I guess that Norbert Ratsirahonana who was acting for Zafy in 1996/97 did not use presidential flag (or maybe the Zafy's flag was still in use).

In 1997 Didier Ratsiraka was reelected, and the new flag now in use is the same as for Albert Zafy, replacing the initials with D.R. In [pay], correction 29, the image of this flag is given without any presidential initials below, with remark that current initials are DR, but I give the complete flag :-)
<mg-pr97.gif> obverse - reverse image not posted, looks exactly as <mg-pr93_.gif>
Zeljko Heimer, 20 May 2000