Madagascar President Dissolves Parliament Ahead of Impeachment Vote

President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar said he was dissolving Parliament on Tuesday ahead of an impeachment vote by lawmakers, in his latest effort to maintain his tenuous grip on power following weeks of youth-led protests against his government.

After weeks of chaotic demonstrations that began over his government’s failure to provide reliable water and electricity but broadened to encompass wider grievances, some of Madagascar’s security forces have turned against Mr. Rajoelina. But the president has been defiant, delivering an address on Monday saying he had gone into hiding because of threats to his life and vowing to continue working to save the country.

On Tuesday, opposition lawmakers had planned to hold a vote to impeach Mr. Rajoelina — and the president issued the dissolution decree to dissolve the National Assembly, parliament’s lower house. But the assembly went ahead with the vote, a move Mr. Rajoelina later called unconstitutional.

Although Mr. Rajoelina’s exact whereabouts remain unknown, Prime Minister Ruphin Fortunat Zafisambo said in a text message to The New York Times that the president had said during Monday’s address that he was on a mission abroad.