In a dramatic escalation of the island nation’s spiraling political turmoil, President Andry Rajoelina announced the dissolution of the National Assembly on Tuesday, just hours before an opposition-led vote aimed at ousting him through impeachment proceedings. The move, broadcast from an undisclosed location, comes after weeks of massive Gen Z-led protests that have left at least 22 people dead and forced Rajoelina to flee the country amid army defections and assassination threats.
“This decree shall enter into force immediately upon its publication by radio and/or television broadcast,” the presidency declared in a statement posted on Facebook, emphasizing its urgency amid the chaos gripping the capital, Antananarivo. Rajoelina, addressing the nation remotely on Monday, revealed he had sought shelter in a “safe place” following alleged plots by military factions and politicians to assassinate him, without disclosing his whereabouts—though reports suggest he departed on a French military aircraft, possibly bound for Dubai.
The dissolution preempts a critical session where opposition lawmakers, led by Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, were set to initiate impeachment over Rajoelina’s “abandonment of post” during the crisis. Randrianasoloniaiko immediately denounced the decree as “not legally valid,” claiming the president of the National Assembly was not consulted and that the action violates constitutional protocols. Legal experts echoed concerns, noting that while the constitution allows dissolution under certain conditions, it requires formal consultations with parliamentary leaders—steps Rajoelina claims he took but which remain unverified.
Roots of the Unrest: A Gen Z Uprising Against Chronic Shortages
The crisis traces back to late September, when nationwide protests erupted over chronic electricity blackouts—sometimes lasting up to 12 hours daily—and acute water shortages that have plagued Madagascar for months, exacerbating poverty in one of the world’s poorest nations. Inspired by similar youth-led movements in Kenya and Nepal that toppled governments earlier in 2025, Madagascar’s Gen Z demonstrators—many dressed in black and waving national flags—have marched en masse, chanting for Rajoelina’s resignation and decrying government corruption and mismanagement.
What began as localized demonstrations in Antananarivo on September 25 quickly spread to eight other cities, drawing thousands to streets like Independence Avenue and Democracy Square—a site symbolically tied to Rajoelina’s own 2009 coup that propelled him to power. Protesters clashed violently with security forces, who deployed tear gas, rubber bullets, beatings, and in some cases live ammunition, according to United Nations reports. The UN’s human rights chief, Volker Türk, expressed “shock and sadness” at the violence, urging respect for peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. Casualties stand at a minimum of 22 killed and over 100 injured, though Madagascar’s government disputes these figures as “rumors or misinformation.”
In a bid to quell the fury, Rajoelina sacked his energy minister on September 26 and dissolved the entire government on October 1, appointing ministers to interim roles while pledging talks with protest leaders. “We acknowledge and apologize if members of the government have not carried out the tasks assigned to them,” he stated in a televised address. Yet these concessions failed to stem the tide, as elite army units like CAPSAT—once loyal allies from his 2009 power grab—defected to join protesters over the weekend, further isolating the president.
Rajoelina’s Defiant Stance and a History of Instability
From exile, Rajoelina has vowed to govern remotely, convening a cabinet meeting on Monday and consulting African leaders for support, while refusing outright resignation. “Since September 25, there have been attempts to kill me and overthrow my government,” he asserted in a Facebook video, framing the unrest as a “coup d’état” orchestrated by destabilizing forces. A senior army general countered that security forces remain united to “maintain order,” but reports of police solidarity with defecting units paint a fractured picture.
Rajoelina’s turbulent path to power underscores Madagascar’s chronic instability. The former DJ and mayor of Antananarivo seized the presidency in a 2009 coup, ousting Marc Ravalomanana amid mass protests; he stepped down in 2014 but reclaimed office through elections in 2018 and 2023—elections marred by opposition claims of irregularities. Since independence from France in 1960, the nation has endured frequent uprisings, economic woes, and environmental challenges, including cyclones that compound infrastructure failures. Rights groups like those led by Faraniaina Ramarosaona warn that without addressing youth grievances—unemployment, inequality, and basic service failures—the crisis could deepen, echoing the irony of protests at sites of Rajoelina’s past triumphs.
As the opposition weighs legal challenges and protesters vow to continue, the dissolution triggers a mandatory 45-day countdown to snap elections, per the constitution—though experts doubt they can proceed amid the standoff. International observers, including the UN and African Union, have called for dialogue to avert further bloodshed, but with Rajoelina’s fate hanging in the balance, Madagascar teeters on the edge of deeper turmoil.
