He was a member of Jiny, a militant nationalist group formed in southern Madagascar in the 1940s that sided with MDRM during the ultimately unsuccessful Malagasy Uprising of 1947 against French rule.

He formed the Madagascar for the Malagasy (MONIMA) party in 1958 and successfully campaigned for the seat of mayor in Toliara, a position he held from 1959 to 1961.

He came to view president Philibert Tsiranana and his Social Democratic Party (PSD) supporters as unduly favorable to continued French interests on the island after independence in 1960.

He ran in the presidential election against Ratsiraka in 1982 and lost by a large margin, but claimed the results were falsified and demanded a recount.

Jaona played a leading role in a series of protest movements in 1971-72, collectively termed the rotaka, that resulted in the forced resignation of President Tsiranana.