Madagascar Power Struggle: Parliament Impeaches Rajoelina as Dissident Military Claims Control

Overview

• Lawmakers voted to remove President Andry Rajoelina minutes after he issued a decree dissolving the National Assembly, a move he labelled unconstitutional.
• An elite CAPSAT contingent earlier declared it was directing all armed forces operations and installed Gen. Démosthène Pikulas as army chief with the defense minister’s recognition.
• Col. Michael Randrianirina announced on national radio that the military had taken power and said security leaders were assuming control of state institutions, with reports of suspensions affecting several bodies.
• Rajoelina’s whereabouts remain uncertain, with opposition figures and sources saying he departed on a French military aircraft as the presidency insists he continues to govern from a safe location.
• Weeks of Gen Z–led protests over water and electricity cuts have broadened into anti‑corruption demands, with the UN attributing at least 22 deaths since September 25 as crowds keep rallying in Antananarivo.