Ministers of Self-Declared President Seize Government Offices in Madagascar

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, March 05, 2002

Ministers of Self-Declared President Seize Government Offices in Madagascar

Twelve ministers named by Madagascar's self-declared president Marc Ravalomanana have taken control of government office buildings in the capital of Antananarivo till Monday afternoon.

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Twelve ministers named by Madagascar's self-declared president Marc Ravalomanana have taken control of government office buildings in the capital of Antananarivo till Monday afternoon.

Escorted by tens of thousands of supporters, Ravalomanana's prime minister Jacques Sylla occupied the buildings of the Foreign Ministry of the government of Ravalomanana's rival -- incumbent President Didier Ratsiraka.

Ravalomanana's vice prime minister in charge of economy, budget and finance has occupied the bureau of Pierrot Jocelyn, Vice Prime Minister of the Ratsiraka government.

Ten other ministry offices -- such as industry and trade, interior affairs, information and communication, territory management, transport, tourism and energy and mines -- have also been seized by members of the Ravalomanana government.

The military who guarded the buildings did not act to dispel pro-Ravalomanana supporters. The taking over of the 12 ministerial headquarters were done without military involvement.

Earlier Monday, Ravalomanana appointed a high-profile general, Jules Mamizara, as his defense minister.

At a ceremony attended by several other senior officers, general Mamizara announced that there are different opinions within the armies but he himself "from now on, will take orders from President Ravalomanana only."

Ratsiraka ordered martial law and appointed a military governor last week, but opposition supporters have built barricades across the capital, preventing the army from entering the city and enforcing martial law.

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