INTERNATIONAL and domestic flights were suspended at dawn in Madagascar on Monday, and public transport and freight services ground to a halt in response to a general strike call by the opposition. At least 300 000 demonstrators were converging on the central May 13 square in the country’s capital in the early morning, where daily rallies have been held by tens of thousands of opposition supporters of the city’s mayor and presidential challenger Marc Ravalomanana. Ravalomanana believes he won presidential elections on December 16 outright against incumbent President Didier Ratsiraka and on Saturday called a general strike to protest a court ruling that there must be a run-off vote on February 24. Employees of the state electricity and water company Jirama on Monday marched behind banners proclaiming “Ravalomana first round, disqualify Ratsiraka.” Workers from other state sectors were also demonstrating. Many shops were closed but shopkeepers said they had drawn down their shutters for fear of looters or troublemakers rather than in response to the strike call. The country’s Constitutional High Court upheld interior ministry results which gave Ravalomanana 46% of the vote against nearly 41% for Ratsiraka. – AFP