New obstacle for Madagascar exile

Mr Rajaonarivelo's supporters have been awaiting his arrival

Madagascar's exiled opposition leader has made a second unsuccessful attempt to fly home in time to register as a candidate for the December election.

Pierrot Rajaonarivelo, who is currently in Mauritius, says he will return ahead of Saturday's registration deadline.

But on Thursday Air Mauritius refused to let him travel.

The airline was informed by Madagascar that he posed a risk to it and other passengers if he landed in the country, an airport official said.

An earlier attempt by Mr Rajaonarivelo to return home was blocked after Madagascar closed an international airport, preventing him from entering the country.

Mr Rajaonarivelo, who heads the opposition party Arema, has been living in exile in France for the past five years.

His supporters have called for a rally at the airport in the capital, Antananarivo, on Saturday to meet him, they said in a statement sent to AFP news agency.

Mr Rajaonarivelo was sentenced in August to 15 years' hard labour for misuse of funds. He denies the charges.

The government has said it will arrest him the moment he sets foot in Madagascar.

The would-be candidate served as deputy prime minister in the government of President Didier Ratsiraka - who has also been in exile in Paris since 2002 when the country was split in two following disputed presidential elections.