Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina said on Tuesday he had dissolved the national assembly, escalating a standoff with youth-led protesters and the military which forced him to flee the country.
A decree posted on Facebook said Rajoelina had consulted with the leaders of the assembly and the Senate, but it was not immediately clear if the move had legal value.
In a defiant address to the nation from an undisclosed location on Monday, Rajoelina refused to step down despite pressure from weeks of Gen Z protests demanding his resignation and widespread defections in the army.
The opposition has been trying to gather enough signatures to launch impeachment proceedings against him in parliament.
–Reuters–
