Impeachment vote against President Rajoelina taking place in Madagascar

Lawmakers in Madagascar's national assembly are voting on whether to impeach President Andry Rajoelina.

This is despite the fact that Rajoelina announced earlier that he had dissolved the national assembly, which is the lower house of parliament.

MPs in Madagascar appear animated as they decide the president's future.

Each of them are speaking briefly before placing their vote in a ballot box.

If enough vote in favour, the next step will be for the High Constitutional Court to validate it.

As the numbers rachet up, loud cheers are ringing out.

There are cheers and whistles as MPs cast their votes on impeachment.

Prior to the vote, 110 out of 163 MPs had signed a letter to move forward to a vote on impeaching President Andry Rajoelina.

It is unclear where Rajoelina is - on Monday evening he made a live broadcast to the nation on Facebook from a "safe place".

This comes after weeks of protests led by a group of young people known as Gen Z Mada.

A senior army general says the security forces are working together to maintain order.

On Sunday, Rajoelina said that an attempt to seize power was underway.

The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, has called the situation in Madagascar "greatly worrying" but refused to comment on reports that the French military had airlifted the island's president out of the country on Sunday.

France has been the object of some protesters' ire - banners saying "Rajoelina and Macron out" have been seen at recent gatherings.

President Rajoelina's order to dissolve the national assembly came as parliamentarians were gathering ahead of an expected vote to strip him of the presidency for desertion of duty, AFP news agency reports.

Ex-President and opposition leader Marc Ravalomanana said that the national assembly - the lower house of parliament - had called an extraordinary session to "note the absence of power in Madagascar", AFP added.

"There is a power vacuum. The solution is not revenge, neither confusion, but a peaceful, inclusive and responsible transition," Ravalomanana is quoted as saying.

He lost power to Rajoelina following a coup in 2009.