During a session on October 12, 2023, senators unanimously voted to impeach their president, Herimanana Razafimahefa. He had previously claimed in an interview with France 24 on October 9 that he had been threatened with death by advisors of the outgoing president, Andry Rajoelina if he did not renounce the interim presidency.
Following these revelations, he later expressed his willingness to take on this role to lead the country. However, this change of stance was regarded as a sign of “mental deficiency” by the senators who initiated the emergency session after the Council of Ministers met yesterday.
The session in the Malagasy Senate was marked by tension and a contentious atmosphere. The president of the Senate himself opened the session in late morning.
Faced with 15 senators from the IRD party of Andry Rajoelina, who questioned his mental health, Razafimahefa rejected these allegations, stating, “I can file a complaint against each one of you.”
Twenty minutes later, Herimanana Razafimahefa eventually left the room to protest what he deemed an “illegal” extraordinary session.
Serious Grounds
According to him, the session should not have taken place because the texts stipulate the requirement of “serious grounds.” Furthermore, the Senate should only convene if the National Assembly is also called into session.
The session eventually resumed, chaired by the Senate’s vice president. The senators remained steadfast, asserting that there had been “no death threats against him or his family.” They consider such statements “abnormal” and “incoherent,” rendering him unfit for interim leadership.
Razafimahefa stated that he is prepared to demonstrate his mental fitness with medical certificates and intends to question the admissibility of the senators’ actions through the High Constitutional Court (HCC).