Michael Randrianirina, the head of the elite army unit CAPSAT, has been named the new leader of Madagascar after the country’s constitutional court deemed President Andry Rajoelina’s position void.
The announcement from the court coincides with uncommon political unrest in the otherwise tranquil nation.
Rajoelina was reported to have fled the country on Sunday after units of the army defected and joined the weeks-long youth-led protests.
Prior to his alleged escape from Madagascar, Rajoelina issued a warning about an ongoing scheme to seize power illegally.
A few hours after the declaration, CAPSAT declared that it had assumed command of the military command and was now in charge of the air, sea, and land forces. Rajoelina was impeached by an overwhelming majority of parliamentarians on Tuesday.
The president opposed the action, stating that it would be “deemed null and void” regardless of the meeting’s outcome.
Randrianirina, however, subsequently declared that CAPSAT had formally assumed command of the nation in the Indian Ocean.
The senate, the constitutional court, and the electoral commission are among the constitutional institutions that the CAPSAT leader declared he would suspend.
In response to questions from reporters, Randrianirina said that elections would take place within the next “18 months to two years.”
He added Gen Z protesters would be part of the changes because “the movement was created in the streets, so we have to respect their demands”.
