Power Has Shifted to the Military in Madagascar

Following the impeachment of Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina, power has transitioned to the military, as reported by RIA Novosti.

Earlier, Rajoelina had announced the dissolution of Parliament amid a vote to remove him from power. However, lawmakers gathered and voted in favor of his impeachment.

“We have taken power into our hands,” declared Colonel Michael Randrianirina on national radio.

According to AFP, the military announced plans to create a commission composed of army, gendarmerie, and police officers to perform the functions of the presidency. Simultaneously, all state institutions will be dissolved, with the exception of the National Assembly (the lower house of Parliament).

Recall that on September 22, thousands of people took to the streets protesting power outages and water supply interruptions, demanding the resignation of the government. The police responded with tear gas.