Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina said on Monday that he had dissolved the national parliament, escalating the standoff with protesters and the military that forced him to flee the country, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
A decree posted on the social network “Facebook“ said the president had consulted with the heads of both chambers of the Malagasy parliament, but it was not clear whether the decision had legal force.
In an address to the nation from an undisclosed location yesterday, Rajoelina refused to step down, despite weeks of youth protests in Madagascar demanding his resignation and mass desertions from the army. The opposition is trying to gather enough signatures to launch an impeachment motion against him in parliament.
"The decree is not legally valid. The president of the National Assembly said he was not consulted," said opposition leader Siteni Randrianasoloniako.
Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina said last night in his first statement broadcast on social media since part of the army joined anti-government protesters over the weekend that he was in a "safe place" after an "assassination attempt", without giving further details about his whereabouts, AFP reported.
"There is only one way out to solve these problems, which is to respect the current constitution of the country," he said, rejecting protesters' calls for his resignation.