Madagascar president Andry Rajoelina has resigned after he was officially confirmed as a candidate in the Indian Ocean Island nation’s presidential elections scheduled for November 9,according to the country’s constitutional court.
Madagascar’s constitution requires a sitting ahead of state who wants to contest a presidential election to first resign.
The president of the senate is supposed to assume presidential powers when the head of state resigns but the court said the senate head, Herimanana Razafimahefa, had declined to take over.
Instead, the court said, presidential power would now be exercised by the government collectively with the prime minister as the head.
