[2] The movement was pacifist, and while it sought independence for Madagascar, it embraced the French vision of the island as part of the global Francophone economic and cultural community.
[3] Their platform garnered mass support that cut across geographic, ethnic and class divisions, and in November 1946 the trio were elected to represent Madagascar as deputies (députés) in the French National Assembly.
Initially a non-nationalist party, PADESM eventually favored a gradual process toward independence that would preserve close ties to France and prevent the reemergence of the precolonial Merina hegemony.
[4] Sensing the worsening mood in the country, on 27 March 1947 deputies Raseta, Ravoahangy and Rabemananjara jointly issued a statement,[2] urging the public to "maintain absolute calm and coolness in the face of maneuverings and provocations of all kind destined to stir up troubles among the Malagasy population and to sabotage the peaceful policy of the MDRM.
The French authorities claimed that their public statements calling for calm immediately prior to the outbreak of violence had been a diversion tactic to mask their involvement in organizing the rebellion,[2] which they had secretly launched by way of an encoded telegram.
Deputies Ravoahangy and Rabemananjara were arrested and imprisoned on 12 April 1947, followed two months later by Raseta (who was in Paris when the Uprising began), after their parliamentary immunity was revoked by the National Assembly.