ANTANANARIVO: Andry Rajoelina first came to power in Madagascar in his mid-thirties in a 2009 military-backed coup after he was able to rally thousands to anti-government protests.
On Tuesday, the national assembly voted to impeach the 51-year-old after he reportedly left the country as soldiers from the elite CAPSAT unit joined weeks of youth-led demonstrations against his administration.
CAPSAT, which announced after the vote that it had seized power, is the same unit that helped Rajoelina into the leadership of the Indian Ocean island 16 years ago.
His rise to power was swift. A former DJ, he was appointed mayor of the capital Antananarivo in 2007 and quickly established himself as the leading voice of the opposition, denouncing attacks on freedoms under then-president Marc Ravalomanana.
With youthful features, a slim build and always well-dressed, his popularity as a vibrant symbol of youthfulness and success was supported by his own Viva broadcasting channel and strong communications skills.
Rajoelina was able to gather more than 20,000 people to anti-government protests in the capital in 2009 that were marred by deadly violence but had the tacit support of the military.
Having lost the support of the army, Ravalomanana resigned in March, paving the way for Rajoelina, born in 1974, to become the youngest president in Africa at the time.
The international community denounced his 2009 accession in a coup and froze foreign aid and investment for nearly four years, pushing the impoverished island deeper into poverty.
Rajoelina struggled to lead the country out of crisis as its unelected leader. His rivals accused him of rampant corruption, greed and turning a blind eye to the pillage of the country’s natural resources, including its precious rosewood forests.
He later defended his elevation to the presidential palace on the back of the coup, telling AFP: “It was a popular uprising.”
- Elected in 2018, 2023 -
He did not contest the 2013 elections, under international pressure, but stood in 2018 when he and Ravalomanana battled it out again.
Neither took enough votes in the first round but Rajoelina won the run-off vote with nearly 56 percent.
As the country prepared for November 2023 elections, controversy erupted when reports revealed in June that he had acquired French nationality in 2014.
This triggered calls for him to be disqualified from the presidential race because, under local law, he should have lost his Madagascan nationality as a result.
The fervent Catholic told the media he became French “out of love” for his three children, to allow them to pursue their studies abroad.
Following a campaign that spared no expense, he eventually won about 59 percent of votes cast in the first round.
But turnout was only 46 percent as most opposition candidates called a boycott, with claims later of vote-buying and irregularities in the counting.
After the court validated the result, ambassadors from the EU, United States and other major donor countries expressed concern at the “tensions and incidents” that marked the campaign.
Rajoelina has called himself the “builder president” responsible for new roads, schools and hospitals, and “a president of the poor people.”
But some of his policies have been labelled unrealistic, and critics have said he is inconstant, easily manipulated and only seeks his own advantage.
In an address to the nation from an unknown location late Monday, Rajoelina appealed for dialogue to end the political crisis.
Insisting he was working to meet the demands of the protesters for better access to services such as electricity, he said the impoverished country with a turbulent history could not endure another crisis.
“I will not let this country destroy itself,” he said, making it clear he would not step down voluntarily.
