Madagascar military leader says he will take power for up to 2 years after coup

The leader of Madagascar’s military coup said he is assuming the presidency and that the armed forces will govern the country for up to two years before new elections are held, according to an exclusive interview with The Associated Press.

Col. Michael Randrianirina, who led the rebellion that ousted President Andry Rajoelina, told AP on Wednesday that he expects to be sworn in as Madagascar’s new leader “in the next few days.” “

There must be an oath-taking to make my position official,” he said, adding that the transitional period would last “at least 18 months, at most two years.”

Rajoelina’s government was overthrown following weeks of youth-led protests demanding his resignation over corruption, inflation, and what critics described as authoritarian rule.

The president, who first seized power in a 2009 coup before returning to office through elections a decade later, said earlier this week that he survived an assassination attempt and was sheltering in a “safe place.”

The presidency condemned the takeover in a statement Tuesday, calling the High Constitutional Court’s decision to strip Rajoelina of power “illegal, irregular, and unconstitutional.”

The statement also accused the military of staging a “power grab by force,” warning that the move undermines the country’s democratic institutions.

The African Union and South Africa have both urged the restoration of constitutional order and called for calm following the coup.