According to sources, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, head of an elite rebel military unit, announced the day before that the armed forces are taking control of the country and specified that he will provisionally assume the office of president.

It was also reported that the declaration followed a parliamentary vote to remove President Andry Rajoelina, who had left the country hours earlier.

Randrianirina also announced that the government structures established in the 2010 constitution were being dissolved to restore democracy and rebuild public trust, except for the National Assembly, which voted in favor of the coup.

The anti-government protests began on September 25th over problems with public services, but the demonstrations later shifted more forcefully to address government corruption, nepotism, and the rising cost of living.

At the end of September, in an apparent effort to calm tensions, President Rajoelina dissolved the cabinet, but the street protests continued and have so far left 22 protesters dead.

abo/arm/mem/fvt