The Presidency of Madagascar on Tuesday announced the dissolution of the National Assembly, the lower house of the bicameral Malagasy Parliament, according to a decree issued by the presidency.
The decree stated:“The National Assembly is dissolved, in accordance with the provisions of Article 60 of the Constitution,” the decree said.
The announcement was made while the National Assembly “was in the process of collecting signatures to convene an extraordinary session aimed at impeaching the head of state,” according to local media reports.
Local media outlets quoted Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, Vice-President of the assembly, as saying that the dissolution decree “was devoid of legal validity due to the absence of formal validation.”
Protests erupted in Madagascar in late September, initially sparked by “widespread power outages and water shortages.”
The demonstrations have since escalated, taking on a “political dimension with calls for government reform and leadership change.”
The protests took a new turn on Saturday when an army regiment declared its “support for and protection of the protesters against what were described as abuses by security forces.”
In a statement on Sunday, the Malagasy presidency claimed that an “attempt to seize power illegally and by force” was underway in Madagascar.
It called on all the vital forces of the nation to rally together to defend the constitutional order and national sovereignty.
On Monday, Madagascar’s President, Andry Rajoelina, stated in a video posted on social media that he has “taken refuge in a safe location.”
This move was to ensure his security after an “assassination attempt against him.”
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