Opposition prime minister addresses rally

(26 Feb 2002) Antananarivo 1. Exterior of the mayor's palace 2. Jacques Sylla arriving in car being cheered by supporters 3. Close up Sylla inside vehicle waving back 4. Wide shot of Sylla being cheered 5. Various of self-proclaimed President Marc Ravalomanana singing the national anthem in the mayor's palace 6. Pull out from Jacques Sylla and Marc Ravalomanana shaking hands 7. Cutaway media 8. SOUNDBITE: (French) Jacques Sylla, Newly-appointed Prime Minister of Madagascar "This is a legitimate government, this is a legal government. For the moment, legitimacy is superior to legality." 9. Wide shot of thousands of presidential supporters in Independence Square 10. Podium and man announcing to people the news of appointment of Prime Minister 11. Supporters clapping Ivandry neighbourhood 12. Presidential supporters setting up barricade 13. Wide shot of soldier approaching barricade 14. Close up of soldier being prevented from going through the barricade STORYLINE: Madagascar's main opposition leader and self-proclaimed president, Marc Ravalomanana, has forged ahead with plans to take control of the country by announcing his choice of prime minister. Jacques Sylla, a lawyer and a former foreign minister, was told to form a new government as soon as possible on Tuesday. Ravalomanana declared himself president on Friday, following a two-month dispute over the outcome of elections on December 16. The government of incumbent President Didier Ratsiraka denounced the move as illegal and declared a three-month state of emergency. Madagascar's capital has been brought to a halt by two months of protests and a general strike called by the opposition in a bid to oust Ratsiraka. The protests, which continued on Tuesday, have largely been peaceful, although isolated incidents of political violence have been reported outside the capital. Ravalomanana, 51, has rejected the official election results, which would require a run-off against Ratsiraka, saying he won more than 50 per cent of the vote and that the government rigged the outcome. Ratsiraka, 67, was Madagascar's military ruler for 17 years before coming to power in elections in 1996. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...