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Madagascar military says it has seized power
A Madagascar army colonel says that the military has taken charge of the African island nation after parliament voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina.
Colonel Michael Randrianirina’s announcement in front of a ceremonial presidential palace in the capital, Antananarivo, on Tuesday came almost immediately after parliament voted to impeach Rajoelina, who fled the country after soldiers joined massive antigovernment protests.
“We have taken the power,” Randrianirina said, adding that the military was dissolving all institutions except the lower house of parliament.
Randrianirina said in front of reporters that the military would form a council composed of officers from the military and the gendarmerie law enforcement force. A prime minister would be appointed to “quickly” form a civilian government, he said.
He also said the constitution and the powers of the High Constitutional Court had been suspended. He said a referendum would be held in two years, although the details of that were not immediately clear.
Rajoelina had been facing growing calls to resign throughout weeks of youth-led antigovernment protests. A turning point in the protests came on Saturday, when an elite military unit joined the demonstrators and turned against Rajoelina. That prompted Rajoelina to say there was an attempt to seize power and go into hiding.
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