Madagascar police kill 7 opposition protestors

A wounded man tries to run from gunshots from the office of the Madagascar president in Antananarivo yesterday. At least 7 people where shot dead after a demonstration of the mayor of Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina marched to the office of the president and was dispersed with gunshots. Photo: AFP

Madagascan police shot dead at least seven supporters of opposition leader Andry Rajoelina Saturday as they tried to march on a palace of President Marc Ravalomanana during a protest.
The new escalation in the weeks-old power struggle between the ousted mayor of Antananarivo and Ravalomanana came after the opposition announced a rival "transition authority" with Rajoelina in charge.
According to AFP reporters on the scene, a group of demonstrators attending a rally in the capital started marching towards Ambohitsorohitra Palace after facing off with security forces for an hour.
A first cordon of anti-riot police retreated when the protestors advanced but a second one closer to the presidential compound then opened fire with live bullets, killing at least seven people and wounding many more.
An AFP reporter saw seven bodies in the city hospital's morgue.
"Considering the institutional vacuum created by the dismissal procedure launched against the president... Andry Rajoelina is appointed as chairman of the transition high authority," an aide of the opposition leader had told the rally.
Rajoelina himself said all of the vast island's regions would be represented in the transitional body and announced that Roindefo Monja, a politician from the southwestern city of Tulear, was "his" new prime minister.
The 34-year-old former DJ, who accuses Ravalomanana of being a dictator, had late last month proclaimed himself in charge of the country's affairs, charging that the president and his government had abandoned the people.
Rajoelina has launched a case to legally remove Ravalomanana with the two houese of parliament and the constitutional court, which has already declared it is not competent to rule on the matter.
The president has kept a low profile since the start of the crisis, insisting simply he was still in charge and relieving Rajoelina from his duties as mayor of Antananarivo four days ago.
Saturday's demonstration started peacefully but tension mounted when Rajoelina urged his supporters to march on Ambohitsorohitra Palace, which used to belong to the mayor until Ravalomanana took power in 2002 and began using it.
"This palace belongs to the people and to the city. I have decided to give it to the prime minister," Rajoelina said.
As the political crisis deepens and Rajoelina forges ahead with his plans for a parallel administration, the international community has struggled to convince the foes to engage in dialogue.
French charge d'affaires in Antananarivo Marie-Claire Gerardin told journalists Friday that "everyone now needs to get round a table and set out all the issues."
She said the status quo was over, since the "protest movement and discontent manifest on the streets show that something is profoundly wrong with Madagascan society."
Rajoelina has echoed widespread popular grievances concerning shrinking civil liberties, controversial economic decisions by the president and a general slump in purchasing power.
At least 68 people died late last month when looting and rioting broke out after a protest.
Madagascar's main foreign donors have meanwhile suspended budgetary aid pending clarification of the management of public funds, EU envoy Jean-Claude Boidin said Friday, while adding it was not connected to the island's power struggle.