27 Aug 2009
Madagascar's ousted president, Marc Ravalomanana, has refused to endorse the leader of last March's coup as head of the new transitional government.

Stalled power-sharing talks in Mozambique were extended to Thursday with the former leader pledging to reject Andry Rajoelina's nomination, as the country tries to re-emerge from months of political crisis.

Mediators said Wednesday that while more than 70 percent of the key posts had been appointed by consensus, the nomination of the main three positions -- president, prime minister and vice-president -- remained deadlocked in a dispute.

Rajoelina, the 35-year-old ex-mayor of Antananarivo, has also not changed his presidency demand after toppling Ravalomanana following a series of deadly protests that started late January and finally erupted into a military-backed coup in March.

The meetings, attended by Ravalomanana, Rajoelina, and ex-presidents Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy, began Tuesday in the Mozambican capital, Maputo, and where originally scheduled for two days.

Rival political parties signed a power-sharing agreement earlier this month to form a transitional government.

Under the regionally brokered deal, the residential elections are due to take place in 2010.

Rajoelina, who is six years younger than the current constitution's permitted age for presidency, says he has plans to call for constitutional amendments that would allow him to participate in the upcoming election.

presstv