Madagascar president’s live address delayed after troops threaten seizure of state media: Presidency

By Mevlut Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Malagasy President Andry Rajoelina’s live national address has been delayed on Monday after a group of soldiers threatened to seize the state-owned media, prompting the army chief to intervene to restore order, the presidency said.

Gen. Demosthene Pikulas, the chief of staff, headed to the site to “mediate, organize, and take responsibility,” a presidential statement said.

The presidential office said early on Monday that the president would address the nation at 7 pm local time (1600GMT), but his speech has been postponed to 8:30 pm (1730GMT).

This came as youth-led protests that began on Sept. 25 over severe shortages of water and electricity, poverty, alleged corruption and calls for Rajoelina’s resignation continue.

Earlier in the day, French radio RFI reported that a French military helicopter flew Rajoelina to France following an agreement between the Malagasy head of state and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The unrest led to government reshuffles, including the dissolution of the Cabinet and appointment of a new prime minister.

Allies of Rajoelina, including his former Prime Minister Christian Ntsay and businessman Maminiaina Ravatomanga, flew to neighboring Mauritius on Saturday.

The same day, troops from the Army Personnel Administration Center (CAPSAT), a military unit instrumental in Rajoelina's rise to power through a 2009 coup, declared its support for the protests.

On Sunday, CAPSAT installed a new military chief, hours after Rajoelina denounced its support for the protests as “an attempt to seize power illegally.”

Earlier today, the French Embassy in Madagascar said that France has no military intervention underway or planned in the Indian Ocean island country amid ongoing anti-government protests.