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Madagascan national television stops broadcasting
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-01 10:20

ANTANANARIVO -- The Madagascan national television stopped broadcasting at 15:00 pm local time (12:00 GMT) on Saturday after its re-broadcasting on Thursday.

The reason of the stoppage was unknown, but the opposition leader Andry Rajoelina, who is also mayor of the capital city, said at a mass meeting in Antananarivo around lunch time on Saturday that the government led by President Marc Ravalomanana was still monopolizing the national channel.

The national TV channel, together with the national radio, were badly damaged in a fire on Monday during the mass turmoil, which also destroyed supper markets and storehouses.

The national TV channel began re-broadcasting on Thursday thanked to efforts made by President Marc Ravalomanana.

Rajoelina announced on Saturday that he had taken over as a provisional leader of the island country and asked the armed forces to follow his order.

The current political crisis in the country started last in December when President Ravalomanana ordered to shut down Rajoelina's private television station, VIVA, for broadcasting part of a speech by former president Didier Ratsiraka, who has been living in exile in France since 2002.