Madagascar closes airport to stop leader's return

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

TOAMASINA, Madagascar, Oct 7 (Reuters) Madagascan authorities closed an airport in the eastern town of Toamasina today to stop an exiled opposition leader from returning, a party official said.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Pierrot Rajaonarivelo, who is preparing to run in Madagascar's presidential election in December, was expected to land at the airport today despite threats that he would be arrested.

''The airport is closed until the 7th of January 2007. It is (President Marc) Ravalomanana who gave the orders,'' said Adolphe Ramasy, a senator in the region, as a crowd of supporters who had gathered to wait for Rajaonarivelo dispersed.

Earlier today, police with rifles, gas-masks and body armour lobbed teargas to control hundreds of opposition supporters gathered to greet Rajaonarivelo.

Concerns over a confrontation rose yesterday when a spokesman for Rajaonarivelo said the politician feared a ''death squad'' would be waiting for him when he arrived from the neighbouring Indian Ocean island of Reunion.

Political analysts say Rajaonarivelo poses the main challenge to President Ravalomanana.

His AREMA party dominated Madagascan politics for much of the past 30 years before being ousted in 2002.

Rajaonarivelo has lived in Paris since 2002 and was Madagascar's ambassador to the United States in the 1990s before serving as vice premier under exiled former President Didier Rastrika.

Rajaonarivelo was sentenced to 15 years hard labour in August for misuse of funds and banned from holding office but he says the conviction was politically motivated and made under pressure from the government.

Rajaonarivelo is one of at least 15 opposition candidates who have said they will run in the presidential elections and must register by October 14.

Madagascar, the world's fourth-largest island, is one of its poorest countries despite rich natural resources and a strategic location off the eastern coast of the African mainland.

The former French colony has been hit by protests over rising prices, some breaking into violent clashes between pro and anti-government demonstrators and police.

REUTERS KD KN1859

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