Lawmakers in Madagascar voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina in a tense parliamentary session. The army’s elite unit, CAPSAT, later announced it had taken control of the government.
Madagascar has been thrown into a deep political crisis after President Andry Rajoelina was impeached by lawmakers, and the military announced it had taken charge of the country.
In a special sitting on Monday, 130 out of 151 MPs in the National Assembly voted to remove the president, with only one abstention. The decision now awaits validation by the High Constitutional Court.
Rajoelina, 51, condemned the impeachment, calling it unconstitutional. He said the vote took place after he had already dissolved the assembly, making the entire process illegal.
“Whatever outcome comes from that meeting is null and void.”
He stated in a Facebook post shortly after the vote.
Shortly after the vote, soldiers from the Special Intervention Force (CAPSAT) announced they were assuming control of the government.
According to Reuters, senior officers declared that the military would now oversee state affairs, while AFP quoted a colonel confirming that the army had “taken charge.”
This move came as a surprise, even to members of Rajoelina’s own party, IRMAR, several of whom supported the impeachment a major political setback for the embattled president.
The crisis follows weeks of street demonstrations that began on September 25, sparked by water and electricity shortages. What started as local protests has grown into a nationwide movement against corruption, joblessness, and the high cost of living.
Tensions rose further when CAPSAT soldiers abandoned their barracks to join the protesters, showing visible divisions within the security forces.
In a recent broadcast before going into hiding, Rajoelina claimed that certain military officers and politicians were plotting to assassinate him. However, CAPSAT commander Colonel Randrianirina Michael dismissed those claims as false, insisting the army never planned to harm him.
“The military has never had any intention to hurt even a single hair on his head,”
The commander said.
Rajoelina has not appeared in public for over a week. Unconfirmed French media reports suggest he may have been airlifted out of Madagascar by French forces.
French President Emmanuel Macron described the situation as “greatly worrying” but refused to confirm reports of French involvement.
In Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, protesters have increasingly directed their anger toward France, holding placards reading “Rajoelina and Macron out.”
The unfolding crisis marks one of the biggest political challenges to Rajoelina since he first came to power through a 2009 coup. His current term, which began in 2023, has been overshadowed by economic decline and public discontent.
With both Parliament and the military now against him, Madagascar faces a tense and uncertain future as citizens await clarity on who truly leads the nation.
