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Madagascar’s embattled President Andy Rajoelina was on account of make a televised handle to the nation on Monday as the principle opposition celebration mentioned he had fled the nation after weeks of protests.
Rajoelina, a twin French-Malagasy citizen, is believed to have left the capital of Antananarivo on a French-registered plane on the weekend, two sources advised the Monetary Occasions.
His reported departure got here hours after an elite unit of the navy threw its assist behind the huge youth-led demonstrations roiling the African island nation.
Mamy Rabenirina, secretary-general of TIM, the largest opposition celebration, mentioned “a number of sources” had advised him the president had fled the nation.
“We all know there was a helicopter that left the presidential palace [on Sunday] round 2pm, which arrived on the finish of the [main airport] runway in St Marie round 3pm. And we all know a French Transall plane landed there with out authorisation and took off 5 minutes later,” Rabenirina advised the FT.
“He can disguise so long as he desires, however the one answer that may fulfill the Malagasy folks is his resignation,” he added.
Rajoelina didn’t seem for a speech he was scheduled to present on Sunday evening. The nation’s minister of public safety mentioned the president’s whereabouts have been unknown, Reuters reported. On Sunday, the president’s spokesperson denied experiences that he had left the nation.
Earlier this month, Rajoelina dissolved the federal government and thus far had solely reappointed new ministers for the armed forces, public safety and the gendarmerie legislation enforcement power. He additionally named a military normal as new prime minister, prompting demonstrators to name for the president’s resignation by the tip of final week.
The president had known as on troops from the police power in an try and quell the youth-led uprisings that started final month over continual water and energy cuts, fuelled by widespread anger over official corruption, excessive ranges of poverty and unemployment.
On Saturday, senior navy police from the military’s CAPSAT unit urged troopers to disobey orders. The power, which is liable for storing the majority of the military’s munitions and {hardware}, helped set up Rajoelina after he led a preferred rebellion in opposition to his predecessor in 2009.
Rajoelina’s workplace on Sunday accused CAPSAT of “an tried unlawful and forcible seizure of energy”.
One individual accustomed to the president’s actions advised the FT: “The information on the bottom say that if he’s out the nation, and there’s a large in style rebellion within the capital and in cities across the nation . . . there isn’t any approach again.
“It’s not as if he’s received a functioning authorities in place which he may declare is working the present both.”
Constitutionally, the president can solely be eliminated if he resigns or is impeached by the Constitutional Court docket.
No less than 22 folks have been killed through the crackdown by authorities, in accordance with UN figures. The federal government disputes these numbers however has not supplied its personal tally.
Impressed by current youth-led actions in Kenya and Nepal, the protests led by a gaggle calling themselves “Gen Z Madagascar” have additionally been supported by commerce unions and civic teams.
