Madagascar military seizes power after president ousted

Col. Michael Randrianirina on Tuesday said at a news conference that the island’s military had assumed control of the country and would appoint a prime minister to form a civilian government. The power shift came after President Andry Rajoelina moved to dissolve Madagascar’s lower house of parliament and lawmakers subsequently voted to impeach the president. Rajoelina fled the country and claimed his impeachment was invalid. Meanwhile, the Council on Peace and Security of the African Union rejected what it called an unconstitutional change in government and urged military forces to stop interfering with the country’s political affairs.

What led up to the change? Violent protests erupted across the country last month as young people initially criticized the government over electricity and water outages. Demonstrators then called for Rajoelina to step down. They said they were inspired by recent movements in Nepal and Sri Lanka that also removed leaders, according to The Associated Press. Soldiers from one of the country’s most prominent units joined protesters Saturday. The same military group helped Rajoelina seize power in a military coup in 2009. 

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Russell’s report about Nepal selecting a new interim prime minister.