Ravalomanana all set to rule
2002-05-06 11:54
Antananarivo - Marc Ravalomanana has been officially sworn in as president of Madagascar in front of a 100 000-strong crowd which gathered in the capital for the ceremony.
A huge cheer went up from the vast crowd at the capital's
Mahamasina Stadium after Ravalomanana had taken the oath of office.
Several international donors, including former colonial power
France, members of the European Union and the United States,
attended the investiture, but were not represented by their
ambassadors to Antananarivo.
Their attendance signalled "conditional recognition" for
Ravalomanana, still embroiled in a row with defeated ruler Didier
Ratsiraka about the outcome of a December vote. The EU has emphasised the need for reconciliation between the two rivals.
Ravalomanana was declared president of the Indian Ocean island
nation on April 29, after a recount of a contentious December vote gave him more than 51% of ballots cast - an absolute
majority - against about 35% for long-time ruler Ratsiraka.
Ratsiraka has refused to accept the result of the recount, and
the governors of four provinces loyal to the former ruler
unilaterally declared independence after Ravalomanana was declared the winner of the vote. - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA