Impeached Madagascar President Confirms Fleeing Country After Coup

Impeached Madagascar President Confirms Fleeing Country After Coup

Madagascar’s ousted president confirmed for the first time that he had fled the country, issuing a statement after a military-led power grab prompted by weeks of demonstrations that have plunged the island nation into crisis. President Andry Rajoelina left between October 11 and 12 after “explicit and extremely serious threats were made against the life of the Head of State,” the presidency said in a statement late Wednesday. The threats had come when he was due to travel abroad for a mission, the statement sent to AFP said. Media reports indicated the 51-year-old leader was evacuated on Sunday aboard a French military plane. On Monday, he said he had taken refuge in a “safe place” without giving further details. Rajoelina, who first came to power after a military-backed coup in 2009, accused the National Assembly of colluding with the military to remove him from office. The military officers who seized power said their leader, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, would be sworn in as new president on Friday. The youth-led Gen Z movement that initiated the protests on September 25 over the lack of water and energy welcomed Randrianirina’s intervention. The international community voiced alarm, with the United Nations censuring what it called an “unconstitutional” takeover and the African Union announcing Wednesday it was suspending Madagascar “with immediate effect”. Madagascar is the latest of several former French colonies to have fallen under military control since 2020, after coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gabon and Guinea. AFP

[UPDATED] Rivers Crisis: Resign Or Be Impeached, Okocha Tells Fubara

  The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, has called on the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara to resign or face impeachment. Okocha made the call while describing the invitation of the 27 lawmakers to a meeting by Fubara as a Greek gift. Recall that Fubara in a letter signed by the Secretary to the Rivers state government, Tammy Danagogo, invited the lawmakers to a meeting following the outcome of the Supreme Court judgement which validated the 27 lawmakers as the authentic legislature in the state. But briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt on Monday, Okocha wondered if the governor has now bent over backwards after a protracted grandstanding. Okocha further said the party had resolved to take a firm stance against the governor, whom he described as ‘clueless’ the latter has not only flouted the law but also disrespected President Bola Tinubu who had intervened in the political crisis in the state with an eight-point agenda most of which the governor failed to implement. He stated, “The APC remains the major opposition party in Rivers State. We are the voice of the voiceless. When we said Siminalayi Fubara was clueless, we were not joking. The evidence is clear. “The governor behaves like a saint, but he is a dangerous snake. His meeting agenda with the lawmakers is puerile. Is he inviting them to discuss the Supreme Court judgment? “And why was the invitation letter signed by the Secretary to the State Government instead of the governor himself? It’s an aberration. As far as I’m concerned it is a Greek Gift. Okocha noted that the party would not stand idly by while the governor allegedly in his words ‘run the state aground’ with his style of governance. “The options before Siminalayi Joseph Fubara are two: he should honourably resign or be impeached because he has run the state aground and disrespected Mr President. “The invitation to the lawmakers is a Greek Gift. The Supreme Court Judgement is final. There is nothing anybody can do about it. The only option available to the Governor now is for him to resign or be impeached. And he should be honourable about it. “If he refuses to resign, he will be impeached. I don’t need to be a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly to know the numerous impeachable offences he has committed. There is no government in Rivers State.” Okocha alleged that the governor’s continued stay in office could lead to political instability, saying, “The State is already sitting on a keg of gunpowder, and with a little spark, it will explode. So, let (Fubara) honourably resign.” Punch  

Impeached South Korean President Yoon In Court Again For Hearings On Removal

  South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has been arrested and suspended from duties over his declaration of martial law, was in court again Tuesday for hearings to decide whether to remove him from office officially. Yoon, a former prosecutor, plunged democratic South Korea into political turmoil when he declared martial law on December 3, suspending civilian rule and sending soldiers to parliament. His attempt to impose martial law only lasted around six hours as the opposition-led parliament defied armed troops to vote it down and later impeached him over the move. As part of a separate criminal probe, Yoon was detained in a dawn raid in mid-January on insurrection charges, becoming the first sitting South Korean head of state to be arrested. He is being held in detention but has been attending impeachment hearings at the Constitutional Court, which will determine whether his impeachment is upheld. If the court upholds the impeachment, an election must be held within 60 days to elect a new president. A convoy of black SUVs arrived at the court Tuesday, carrying Yoon to attend a hearing scheduled to begin at 2:00 pm (0500 GMT). At previous hearings, Yoon denied instructing top military commanders to “drag out” lawmakers from parliament to prevent them from voting down his decree, a claim refuted by opposition MPs. He has argued that he did not believe the short-lived martial law was a “failed martial law”, but rather one that “ended a bit sooner” than he expected. During Tuesday’s hearing, two former military commanders and an ex-spy agency official are set to testify as witnesses. Hong Jang-won, a former deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, testified before lawmakers that he had been ordered to arrest politicians — a claim that contradicts Yoon’s denial of such an order. Yoon, 64, was indicted in January, with prosecutors accusing him of being a “ringleader of the insurrection”. He faces a separate criminal trial on those charges. Insurrection is not covered by presidential immunity. If convicted, he faces jail time or the death penalty. AFP