An insurgent military unit in Madagascar, the Land Army Personnel and Services Administration Corps (CAPSAT), involved in the large protests that led the president, Andry Rajoelina, to flee the country, announced this Tuesday (14) the suppression of the Constitution and the seizure of power.
“We are going to assume our responsibilities, we are going to take power,” CAPSAT leader Colonel Michael Randrianirina told the press at Ambotsirohitra Palace, the seat of the presidency in the capital, Antananarivo.
“In view of the repeated violations of the Constitution, the disrespect for human rights and the plundering of the nation, a council composed of the Army, the Gendarmerie and the national police will assume the functions of the head of state, which will be joined by civilian members in a few days”, explained Randrianirina.
According to the military, this council will have a maximum of two years to “rebuild the foundations of the nation” and, as part of this transition process, “a constitutional referendum will be held.”
The leader of CAPSAT also announced the suspension of the activities of the Senate, the Constitutional Court and the Superior Court of Justice, but guaranteed that the National Assembly (lower house of parliament) will continue to exercise its functions.
The announcement was made shortly after the National Assembly voted to dismiss center-left President Andry Rajoelina, who fled to a “safe place” following the serious political crisis provoked by popular protests that have rocked the southeast African country since September 25.
In the session, in which 131 of the 163 deputies participated, 130 voted in favor of the dismissal, according to the vice-president of the chamber, Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, despite the president having issued a frustrated decree this Tuesday to dissolve the institution.
Rajoelina, who confirmed on Monday that he had fled to a “safe place” to protect his life – without specifying his whereabouts but hinting that he might be out of the country – signed the decree in an attempt to prevent the opposition-led vote to remove him from power.
However, Randrianasoloniaiko argued that the decree has no legal validity as it does not have the official seal or signature of the president.
On Sunday, the Malagasy presidency denounced an attempted coup after groups of military personnel joined thousands of anti-government protesters on Saturday. On the same day, CAPSAT claimed to have taken control of the Armed Forces. Calling for “disobedience” to any order to open fire on the population, units of this military unit aboard armored vehicles joined the mass demonstrations in Antananarivo.
CAPSAT was involved in a coup d’état in 2009 that overthrew the then president, Marc Ravalomanana, and brought Rajoelina to power for the first time.
Although they initially emerged to protest against the recurring cuts of water and electricity, the mobilizations, driven by young people from Generation Z, became anti-government and began to demand the resignation of Rajoelina, whose proposal for a national dialogue was rejected by the organizers.
Inspired by recent youth mobilizations in countries like Kenya and Nepal, these protests are the strongest to hit Madagascar in years.
