Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has given himself one year to resolve the country’s challenges, pledging to resign if problems persist, during a town-hall-style meeting with government supporters.

The dialogue comes amid ongoing protests led by the youth movement Gen Z Mada, which has rejected engagement, accusing the government of repression and human rights abuses.

Rajoelina promised that ongoing power projects would add 265 megawatts to the national grid to address frequent outages, a key protest grievance, while emphasizing solutions require honest dialogue rather than street protests.

The demonstrations, which began on September 25 over power and water shortages, have expanded to concerns about corruption, unemployment, and rising living costs, the BBC has reported.

Despite the protests, daily life in much of the capital Antananarivo continues, though clashes with security forces have left at least 22 dead and many injured, according to the UN.