Madagascar Military Ruler Institutes Lie Detector Test For Ministers, Gives Easy Pass Mark
- Madagascar's military president wants to implement lie detector tests for new ministers to combat corruption
- Youth discontent arose as the president faced criticism for appointments linked to the old regime he toppled
- The military leader pledged elections by 2027 amid ongoing calls for political reform from Gen Z activists
Madagascar’s military president Michael Randrianirina wants his new ministers to pass lie detector tests to root out corrupt candidates.
This comes after he dismissed the prime minister and cabinet without explanation earlier in March.
Source: Getty Images
Randrianirina came to power in a coup in October 2025 after weeks of youth-led protests but his appointment did not inspire confidence in the youth.
The Guardian reported that 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.
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 March 9, then announced on Sunday that the anti-corruption chief, Mamitiana Rajaonarison, would be the new prime minister.
“We’re not looking for someone who is 100% clean, but over 60%. That way, Madagascar will finally be able to develop.”
How do lie detectors work?
According to the American Psychological Association, polygraph machines detect lies by measuring physical changes thought to be associated with lying, such as changes in heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, perspiration, and skin conductivity.
During a polygraph test, an interviewer or interrogator asks the subject a series of questions designed to elicit truthful answers and lies, then measures physiological changes in response to the questions.
The most widely used polygraph method is the comparison-question technique (CQT), first developed in 1947.
Rawlings and lie detector tests
Korle Klottey Dr Zenator Agyemang-Rawlings said her late father and former military ruler said he would have favoured lie detector tests.
She also said her father would have resorted to spiritual means to remove politicians without integrity.
This came after the surprise approval from some NDC MPs of six ministers appointed by then-president Nana Akufo-Addo.
Ghana battled corruption perception under Akufo-Addo
YEN.com.gh reported that in 2024, Ghana's corruption rating failed to improve on the perception index for 2023.
Ghana scored 43 out of 100 and ranked 70 out of 180 countries, continuing the trend of no progress that continued into last year.
The last time Ghana made progress on the corruption index was in 2019, when it ranked 80th with 41 points as its score.
During his victorious campaign to become president, President John Mahama pledged to crack down on all corruption.
Source: YEN.com.gh
