ANTANANARIVO: Madagascar braced for a new era of military rule Wednesday, a day after an elite army unit seized power following President Andry Rajoelina's impeachment and pledged elections in less than two years. The CAPSAT military contingent assumed power Tuesday moments after parliamentarians voted overwhelmingly to impeach Rajoelina, who appeared to have fled the island nation as soldiers joined weeks of street protests at the weekend.
The capital Antananarivo, was calm early on Wednesday, but there was some uncertainty about what to expect next with international bodies expressing concern. CAPSAT commander Colonel Michael Randrianirina, the new de facto president of the impoverished country, told reporters on Tuesday the transition would take under two years and include the restructuring of major institutions. It would be overseen by a committee of officers from the army, gendarmerie and police.
Randrianirina pledged elections in 18 to 24 months and said the committee would seek a "consensus prime minister" to form a new government. The constitutional court validated his authority after accepting the vote against Rajoelina. Randrianirina had long been a vocal critic of Rajoelina's administration and was reportedly imprisoned for several months from November 2023 for inciting military mutiny with a view to a coup.
The presidency denounced "a clear act of attempted coup" and insisted that Rajoelina, whose whereabouts were unknown and who was last seen in public a week ago, "remains fully in office". The United Nations said Tuesday it was waiting for "the dust to settle" but it would be "concerned about any unconstitutional change of power". The security body of regional SADC grouping — of which Rajoelina was holding the rotating presidency — said it was "particularly alarmed by reports of an attempted coup d'etat". "The military leaders who have seized power should respect and protect the rights of all Malagasy people," the Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.
The youth-led movement that initiated the protests on September 25 over lack of water and energy welcomed the intervention of Randrianirina. Rajoelina, re-elected in disputed polls in 2023, came to power in a 2009 military-backed coup that was denounced by the international community which froze foreign aid and investment for nearly four years. He resisted mounting calls to step down, saying in a national address from an unknown location on Monday that he was seeking solutions to Madgascar's problems. Amid reports that he had been helped to leave with assistance from France, the former colonial power, he said he was in a "safe place to protect my life".
France on Wednesday urged all players in Madagascar to show "restraint and responsibility" after an elite army unit seized power from President Andry Rajoelina, adding that democracy must be preserved in its former Indian Ocean island colony. The hopes of Madagascar's people "and particularly those of its youth, for a better, fairer, and more dignified life must be fully heard and taken into account", the French foreign ministry said in the wake of days of protests. "It is essential today that democracy, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law be scrupulously preserved." — AFP
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