Overview

• Lawmakers voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina after he attempted to dissolve the lower house by decree from an undisclosed location.
• Col. Michael Randrianirina declared, “We are taking power,” announcing the suspension of the constitution and the High Constitutional Court and proposing a referendum in two years.
• The armed forces said they will establish a council drawn from the military and gendarmerie and quickly name a prime minister to form a civilian government, though details remain scarce.
• Rajoelina fled the country citing threats to his life, his office denounced the takeover as illegal, and a report that he left on a French military plane remains unconfirmed by President Emmanuel Macron.
• The takeover followed weeks of Gen Z–led protests over electricity and water outages and broader grievances, with the United Nations reporting 22 deaths and more than 100 injuries in a disputed toll.