Madagascar president has left the country after soldiers turned against him, lawmaker says

Madagascar president has left the country after soldiers turned against him, lawmaker says Updated 5 mins ago An opposition lawmaker in Madagascar says that President Andry Rajoelina has left the country after an elite military unit turned against the government in an apparent coup. The lawmaker’s comments on Monday came shortly before Rajoelina was due to appear on national television to make a speech to the people of Madagascar. The country has been rocked by weeks of anti-government protests calling for Rajoelina and other government officials to step down. The protests reached a turning point on Saturday when soldiers from the elite CAPSAT military unit turned against Rajoelina and joined demonstrators calling for him to resign.