Madagascar’s Parliament Calls President Incompetent, Votes to Impeach Him

Madagascar's parliament voted Tuesday to dismiss President Hery Rajaonarimampianina amid allegations of constitutional violations and general incompetency.

The president and his supporters have already challenged the impeachment, which still needs to be reviewed by the country's High Constitutional Court before Rajaonarimampianina can be removed from office.

"I want to tell the people that I'm still here, your leaders are still working for you," the president told the nation in a televised address Wednesday. Rajaonarimampianina also said he was "concerned about due process and respect for transparency," and added that there were "suspicions of corruption."

He told the public that he had "worked tirelessly to dig the country out of a hole," and that he had refused "to hand out gifts that deputies do not deserve given the current context, including free 4x4 vehicles."

According to official figures, deputies voted overwhelmingly in favor of removing the president from office, with 121 out of 151 members of parliament backing the motion — 20 more votes than the required two-thirds majority of 101. There were four votes against the motion and 26 abstentions.

Rajaonarimampianina challenged the legitimacy of the vote, claiming there were only 80 lawmakers present in the room on Tuesday. Lawmaker Lydia Toto, a supporter of the president, also questioned the tally of 121 votes in favor of the impeachment, saying only 102 members of the National Assembly were present at the time, according to Reuters.

"It's an indicator of the continuing instability in the country," former Malagasy transportation minister André Rasolo told VICE News. "The lack of transparency of the vote means that it is unlikely to be validated by the High Constitutional Court."

Related: Madagascar's Electricity Shortage Is Causing Riots and Crippling the Country's Economy

Opposition lawmaker Christine Razanamahasoa has accused the president of constitutional violations, including threatening to dissolve the country's National Assembly and meddling with its internal affairs.

Rasolo, now a member of Madagascar's civil society, said, "While some of the criticisms levied against the president are legitimate, others have been grossly exaggerated."

According to Rasolo, the main issue is not the president himself, but the political system in Madagascar. "Malagasy political life is run by 300 small parties, which means there is no obvious majority in the Assembly, and therefore no opposition," he said.

The president, Rasolo added, "has no political base inside the Assembly or in local institutions," and has had "to cast a wide net to find supporters."

But the president's supporters were nowhere to be found Tuesday, and parties that were once rivals formed temporary alliances against the president. "We need to restructure the [current] party system to bring it back to 4 or 5 [parties], who should be tasked with training policy makers," the former transport minister said.

Rajaonarimampianina's election in 2013 was hailed as a major step toward restoring democracy in Madagascar, which was in the midst of an economic and political crisis triggered by the 2009 ouster of President Marc Ravalomanana following months of violent protests.

Related: The Black Plague Is Spreading in Madagascar

But despite the initial burst of hope, the island has remained politically volatile and continues to lag behind other developing regions. The per capita GDP is estimated to be $490, and 90 percent of the population survives on less than $2 per day. As many as 200,000 people — including 40,000 children — are suffering from severe food insecurity in the south of the island.

"We have to admit that the country's development challenges today are huge," Rajaonarimampianina, a former accountant, said Wednesday.

The president will remain in office until the High Constitutional Court decides whether or not to enact the decision to impeach him. It could take several weeks for the Court to convene and vote on the issue.

The country's next presidential elections are currently scheduled for the end of 2018.

Follow Matthieu Jublin on Twitter :@MatthieuJublin