Thousands join rally in capital

Описание: (25 Feb 2002)

VIDEOPHONE - QUALITY AS INCOMING
1. French nationals outside French embassy
2. French flag
3. French protester talking to the crowd
4. Protesters clapping hands
5. UPSOUND (French) Voxpop protester speaking to the crowd:
"If I can explain a little bit what's going on here, because it appears as though some are badly informed, here are a people who have suffered for 30 years."
6. Protesters marching toward Independence Square
7. French couple holding hands
8. Protester holding French flag
9. Local supporters cheering French protesters arriving at Independence Square
9. Protesters

STORYLINE:

Madagascar's main opposition leader, Marc Ravalomanana, who declared himself president last week, said he planned to announce a cabinet on Monday.

Hundreds of thousands of Ravalomanana supporters filled the independence square in the capital, Antananarivo, upon hearing the news, waiting for him to announce his choice of ministers.

Several hundred French expatriates simultaneously demonstrated outside the French embassy, in protest of what they see as France's support of incumbent President Didier Ratsiraka.

France, which ruled Madagascar from 1886 until independence in 1960 and remains its main trading partner, has called for a negotiated settlement to the election dispute and has condemned Ravalomanana's actions.

Madagascar has been gripped by political turmoil since the presidential election ended in dispute two months ago.

Ravalomanana has rejected official election results which would force him into a second election round against Ratsiraka.

Claiming he won more than 50 percent of the vote, he has brought the capital to a standstill, calling a series of protests and a general strike aimed at forcing Ratsiraka to step down.

Official election results, however, gave him less than half the vote, forcing him into a runoff with Ratsiraka, who finished second.

On Friday, Ravalomanana declared himself president and held his own swearing in ceremony.

Ratsiraka's government has denied interfering with the results of the December 16 elections, saying it wanted a second round of voting on March 24 to settle the argument.

The government also declared a three-month state of emergency, allowing Ratsiraka to pass laws by decree, requisition the public service and assume control of the country's media.

French President Jacques Chirac has stated that France will not recognise Ravalomanana's self-proclamation and the international community also condemned the move as unconstitutional.

But Monday's protesters say that the local people should be allowed to decide who they want as president.

Ravalomanana, 51, has yet to announce how he intends to take control of the country.

On Sunday, he suggested the country hold a referendum to let the people decide who they wanted as president.

Ravalomanana, the mayor of Antananarivo, is extremely popular in the capital.

His support in the remote rural areas, where most of the country's 16 (M) million people live, is unclear.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...