Madagascar president dissolves national assembly ahead of ouster vote – Is the move legal?

Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina on Tuesday (Oct 14) dissolved the national assembly ahead of an opposition-led vote to force him out of office. The island nation has been gripped with a political crisis for the last two weeks, with clashes between youth-led protesters and the military that forced Rajoelina to flee the country. Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition in the country’s parliament said that the move was “not legally valid”.

The decree to dissolve the assembly “shall enter into force immediately upon its publication by radio and/or television broadcast,” the presidency said in a statement published on Facebook.

The 51-year-old leader has been defying mounting pressure to resign, defending the move as necessary to “restore order within our nation and strengthen democracy.”

“The People must be heard again. Make way for the youth,” he added in a social media post.

Opposition says ‘not legally valid’

Opposition leader Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko decried the move, questioning the legality of the president dissolving the national assembly amid unrest in the country. He claimed that the President of the National Assembly was not consulted in the matter.

“This decree is not legally valid... the President of the National Assembly says he was not consulted,” Randrianasoloniaiko said.

Madagascar protest

The protests in Madagascar started on September 25 and was initially sparked by severe water and electricity shortages. However, the movement quickly expanded to include broader frustrations around corruption, poor governance, and the chronic failure of basic public services. The demonstrations are a continuation of such Gen Z-driven movements in several countries like Nepal, Morocco and Bangladesh.

Over the weekend, the protest intensified when mutinous soldiers and security forces joined the demonstrators. The protestors have been demanding that Rajoelina and other government ministers step down.

Last month, the president sacked the entire government in a bid to defuse the situation. Radio France Internationale reported that Rajoelina fled the country aboard a French military plane on the weekend.