Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina on Tuesday announced the dissolution of the lower house of parliament, intensifying the standoff with Gen Z-led protesters and sections of the military that had earlier forced him to flee the country.

A presidency decree on Facebook said the 51-year-old Rajoelina had consulted with the leaders of the National Assembly and the upper house Senate, but the legality of his gambit was unclear.

In a defiant address from an undisclosed location on Monday evening, Rajoelina refused to step down despite weeks of Gen Z protests demanding his resignation and widespread defections in the army.

Forced To Flee

Rajoelina said he had been forced to move to a safe place because of threats to his life. An opposition official, a military source and a foreign diplo

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