Life on hold in Madagascar

[Adsos Letter]

Source: By Christina Corbett
BBC News, Antananarivo

There has been an uneasy sense of calm in the Madagascar capital on a day that the mayor of Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina, had called for a "ville morte".

Literally translated as "dead city", the mayor's demand effectively means a complete shutdown of all shops and services.

Amidst the uncertainty, some people are trying to return to normal. Cars move around the city centre and the street hawkers are still trying to ply their wares.

One important person who has defied the ville morte is President Marc Ravalomanana, whose car was seen leaving the the Presidential residence Thursday morning.

"It's serious now," says a taxi driver who wished to remain anonymous, "and it is bad for Madagascar. This is a poor country and we should be moving forward, but instead we are going backwards."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7858024.stm