 "Military takes over Madagascar: President impeached, state institutions dissolved")
Madagascar’s military has taken control of the island nation, an army colonel announced on Tuesday, following mass protests led by young demonstrators.
“We have taken the power,” Colonel Michael Randrianirina said on national radio.
The military said it was dissolving all state institutions except the lower house of parliament, after the National Assembly voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina, who had fled the country, citing fears for his safety.
Earlier on Tuesday, Rajoelina had tried to block the impeachment vote by dissolving the National Assembly.
Military outlines next steps
Colonel Randrianirina, head of the elite CAPSAT unit, said a committee of officers from the army, gendarmerie, and national police would temporarily carry out presidential duties.
“Perhaps in time it will include senior civilian advisers. It is this committee that will carry out the work of the presidency,” he said. “At the same time, after a few days, we will set up a civilian government.”
He added that a prime minister would be appointed quickly.
The military has suspended the country’s Senate, high constitutional court, electoral body, and other state institutions, leaving only the National Assembly intact.
Impeachment vote and legal dispute
On Tuesday, 130 members of parliament voted to impeach Rajoelina, exceeding the two-thirds threshold required in the 163-member chamber. The High Constitutional Court still needs to validate the vote, but the presidency has called the session unconstitutional and the resolution “null and void.”
Rajoelina, a former mayor of Antananarivo, said on Monday that he was sheltering in a “safe space” after threats to his life, without revealing his location.
Background of the protests
The demonstrations began on 25 September and intensified over the weekend when CAPSAT and other mutinous soldiers joined the protesters, demanding that Rajoelina and other government ministers step down.
CAPSAT, which played a key role in the 2009 coup that first brought Rajoelina to power, now leads the transition, with plans to include civilian advisers in the coming days.
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