Madagascar’s military leaders who seized power amid ongoing protests have announced that their leader, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, will be sworn in as the country’s new president on Friday. The military council, led by Randrianirina, has pledged to hold elections within two years following the impeachment of President Andry Rajoelina after weeks of mass demonstrations. The United Nations condemned the development as an “unconstitutional” change of government, expressing concern over the nation’s political instability.
The crisis reached its peak when the elite CAPSAT military unit took control shortly after parliament voted to remove Rajoelina on Tuesday. The 51-year-old president, who had ruled since 2009, reportedly fled the country as protests intensified. Madagascar now joins a growing list of former French colonies that have experienced military takeovers since 2020, including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gabon, and Guinea.
According to a statement from the new authorities—signed by Randrianirina and issued under the name “Presidential Council for the Refoundation of the Republic of Madagascar”—he will be sworn in as transitional president during a formal court session on Friday.
Randrianirina said the transition to civilian rule would be completed within two years and involve reforms to key national institutions. “This wasn’t a coup, but an act of responsibility to save a collapsing country,” he said on national television. He added that elections would take place within 18 to 24 months and that discussions were underway to appoint a prime minister and form a new government.
A long-time critic of Rajoelina’s administration, Randrianirina was reportedly detained in 2023 for allegedly plotting a coup. His rapid rise to power has drawn widespread international criticism. The African Union announced Madagascar’s suspension “with immediate effect,” while the United Nations reiterated its “deep concern” over the situation.
In the capital, Antananarivo, calm returned on Wednesday despite lingering uncertainty. A concert took place at Place du 13 Mai, a symbolic square that had seen clashes between protesters and security forces days earlier. The youth-led Gen Z movement, which began demonstrations on September 25 over water and electricity shortages, welcomed Randrianirina’s intervention.
“The colonel said he’s ready to talk with the youth, and we’re ready to engage,” the movement said in a Facebook post, renewing its call for “systemic change.”“We’re anxious about the future but celebrating this first victory that gives us hope,” said 26-year-old Fenitra Razafindramanga, captain of Madagascar’s national rugby team.In Antsiranana, an entrepreneur named Muriella expressed relief at Rajoelina’s removal. “It feels like we’ve just been freed from prison,” she said, adding that she hopes the next leader learns from Rajoelina’s mistakes.
Meanwhile, Rajoelina’s office denounced the constitutional court’s decision as illegal and destabilizing. “This ruling, flawed in both form and substance, is unconstitutional and invalid,” it said in a statement.Rajoelina first rose to power through a 2009 military-backed coup widely condemned by the international community. He was later elected president in 2018 and re-elected in a contested vote in 2023.
In recent weeks, he resisted calls to resign, saying in a national address from an undisclosed location that he was working to resolve the country’s challenges. Amid reports that France assisted in his departure, Rajoelina confirmed he was in a “safe place to protect my life.”
Source: https://www.octodaydispatch.com/
