Madagascar adjusts to military rule after colonel seizes power

Madagascar braced for a caller epoch of subject regularisation Wednesday, a time aft an elite service portion seized powerfulness pursuing President Andry Rajoelina’s impeachment and pledged elections successful little than 2 years.

The CAPSAT subject contingent assumed powerfulness Tuesday moments aft parliamentarians voted overwhelmingly to impeach Rajoelina, who appeared to person fled the land federation arsenic soldiers joined weeks of thoroughfare protests astatine the weekend.

The superior Antananarivo was calm aboriginal Wednesday but determination was immoderate uncertainty astir what to expect adjacent with planetary bodies expressing concern.

CAPSAT commandant Colonel Michael Randrianirina, the caller de facto president of the impoverished country, told reporters Tuesday the modulation would instrumentality nether 2 years and see the restructuring of large institutions.

It would beryllium overseen by a committee of officers from the army, gendarmerie and police.

Randrianirina pledged elections successful 18 to 24 months and said the committee would question a “consensus premier minister” to signifier a caller government.

The law tribunal validated his authorization aft accepting the ballot against Rajoelina.

Randrianirina had agelong been a vocal professional of Rajoelina’s medication and was reportedly imprisoned for respective months from November 2023 for inciting subject mutiny with a presumption to a coup.

The presidency denounced “a wide enactment of attempted coup” and insisted that Rajoelina, whose whereabouts were chartless and who was past seen successful nationalist a week ago, “remains afloat successful office”.

The United Nations said Tuesday it was waiting for “the particulate to settle” but it would beryllium “concerned astir immoderate unconstitutional alteration of power”.

The information assemblage of determination SADC grouping — of which Rajoelina was holding the rotating presidency — said it was “particularly alarmed by reports of an attempted coup d’etat”.

“The subject leaders who person seized powerfulness should respect and support the rights of each Malagasy people,” the Human Rights Watch said Wednesday.

The youth-led question that initiated the protests connected September 25 implicit deficiency of h2o and vigor welcomed the involution of Randrianirina.

Rajoelina, re-elected successful disputed polls successful 2023, came to powerfulness successful a 2009 military-backed coup that was denounced by the planetary assemblage which froze overseas assistance and concern for astir 4 years.

He resisted mounting calls to measurement down, saying successful a nationalist code from an chartless determination connected Monday that helium was seeking solutions to Madgascar’s problems.

Amid reports that helium had been helped to permission with assistance from France, the erstwhile assemblage power, helium said helium was successful a “safe spot to support my life”.

AFP

The station Madagascar adjusts to subject regularisation aft colonel seizes power appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.