Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina addresses a state ceremony, September 2, 2025, in Antananarivo, Madagascar. ALEXANDER JOE / AP
Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina on Tuesday, October 14, dissolved the national assembly, pre-empting an opposition-led vote to force him out of office over the island nation's spiraling political crisis. 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.
Rajoelina has faced over two weeks of deadly street clashes, led largely by young demonstrators furious with the ruling elite, forcing the 51-year-old leader into hiding. Rajoelina, who has defied mounting calls to resign, defended the move in a separate social media post as necessary to "restore order within our nation and strengthen democracy." "The People must be heard again. Make way for the youth," he said in a post on social media.
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