Madagascans Continue Election Protest Strike
VOA News
6 Feb 2002 12:09 UTC
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Supporters of Madagascar opposition leader Marc Ravalomanana demonstrated for a 10th straight day in protest against the results of December's presidential election.

They are incensed over alleged poll rigging which they say cheated their candidate out of victory.

Thousands flooded the capital, Antananarivo, Wednesday in marked contrast to Tuesday's stay-at-home strike, when hundreds of thousands heeded Mr. Ravalomanana's call to turn the capital into a "ghost city."

Madagascar's election commission has ruled that neither Mr. Ravalomanana nor President Didier Ratsiraka received enough votes in the balloting to be elected president.

Mr. Ravalomanana says he won the vote outright and has told his supporters to boycott a second round set for February 24.

Mr. Ravalomanana says he will call off the strike if the electoral commission will agree to permit a team of international observers to audit the December vote.

Some information for this report provided by Reuters and AFP.

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