More Madagascar protests

Mr Ravalomanana's supporters say he won outright

Big demonstrations have continued on the streets of the Madagascan capital, Antananarivo, in support of opposition presidential candidate Marc Ravalomanana.

Mr Ravalomanana, who is the mayor of Antananarivo, insists he won last month's contest outright.

A correspondent in the city said tens of thousands of people had come on to the streets.

On Monday, at least 20 people were injured as Madagascan police fired tear gas and used batons against the crowds.

A child was also reported to have been died after being suffocated when police fired tear gas, according to a witness quoted by the French news agency, AFP.

Mr Ravalomanana is a political newcomer

The BBC's Voahangy Rakotoarivelo in Antananarivo says that the protesters have vowed to continue their struggle until President Didier Ratsiraka is ousted from power.

Mr Ravalomanana has now called on the church to mediate.

Results from the Interior Ministry give Mr Ravalomanana 46% against 40% for Mr Ratsiraka.

If these are confirmed by the supreme court, a second round would decide the next president, but Mr Ravalomanana says he won 53% and so should be sworn in straight away.

Both sides have accused the other of malpractice during the election.

Economic miracle

In 1991, street protests forced Mr Ratsiraka to introduce multi-party elections and he lost the first contest in 1993, before being re-elected three years later.

After being driven from 13 May Square in the city centre by the security forces, protesters threw stones at the police and set a car on fire.

They then managed to return to the square where Mr Ravalomanana spoke.

"We will see this through and we will win," he said. "We have only one demand in the current conflict: that the truth of what was in the ballot boxes is respected."

Mr Ravalomanana is a self-made millionaire who started off selling yoghurts and now heads the country's biggest food company.

During the election, he promised to achieve a similar about-turn in the prospects of Madagascar.

He had no political experience before winning the Antananarivo mayoral elections in 1999.