Overview

• Capsat commander Michael Randrianirina declared a takeover, suspended the constitution, dissolved the Senate and the constitutional court, and announced a military-led presidential council while allowing the National Assembly to continue.
• President Andry Rajoelina is outside the country, with multiple reports saying he was flown out on a French military aircraft, and he issued a decree from abroad purporting to dissolve parliament that opponents call unlawful.
• Lawmakers voted to remove Rajoelina and sought validation of the move, which the presidency denounced as unconstitutional, deepening the institutional standoff.
• The elite unit had refused orders to fire on demonstrators, claimed control of land, air and naval forces, and said it will appoint a prime minister, keep the current civilian cabinet, create a reform court, and pursue a referendum within two years.
• Protests since September 25, driven by Gen Z over power and water outages, rising living costs and governance concerns, have left at least 22 dead according to the UN, and the AU, SADC and France urged restraint and a return to constitutional order.