Antananarivo - Madagascar's opposition declared it had taken power Saturday without force from President Marc Ravalomanana's government and named opposition leader Andry Rajoelina as president of a transitional two-year government.

The opposition met no resistance in installing its candidate for prime minister in government offices and in taking over the president's city-centre offices Saturday.

Rajoelina, ex-mayor of the capital Antananarivo, says he will lead the country towards fresh elections in two years, although at 34 he is too young by law to be president.

The government in a statement confirmed that the opposition had taken over the president's offices, but denied Rajoelina had taken power.

It said Ravalomanana, 59, had a mandate to govern after being re-elected president in 2006 and that the opposition's power grab was illegal.

Ravalomanana's prime minister, Charles Rabemananjara, was still the rightful premier, the statement said.

Rajoelina, who has led a seven-week campaign of demonstrations to force Ravalomanana from office, called on the constitutional court to legalize his claim on leadership by stripping the president of his powers and dissolving parliament.

The president of the national assembly came out in support of him, saying the only solution to the unrest that has claimed over 100 lives on the island since January was for the president to step down.

While demanding at a lunchtime rally attended by thousands of his supporters that the president leave office within four hours Rajoelina ruled out mutinous soldiers forcing him from the presidential palace, saying: "I'm not a murderer."

Around 3,000 presidential supporters were blocking the access to the palace, located about 14 kilometres south of the capital. Ravalomanana on Friday had appealed to civilians to come and defend him.

Ravalomanana's hold on power has come apart in recent days after he lost the support of the army.

A group of mutinous soldiers moved tanks to an unknown location in the capital on Friday and guards at the presidential palace deserted their posts.

The government later claimed the soldiers had wanted to protect themselves rather than attack the palace.

The mutiny began on Sunday in protest over the use of excessive force against civilians.

The security forces have shot dead dozens of unarmed protestors since the opposition began a campaign of mass demonstrations in the capital in late January to try to force the president to resign.

While opposing Ravalomanan, it is clear whether the army is on side with Rajoelina.

The international community has been appealing for dialogue between the presidential and opposition camps and civic groups but Rajoelina has refused to attend talks with the president.

The opposition accuses the president of seven years of authoritarianism and economic misrule.

Ravalomanana, a millionaire businessman, this week admitted for the first time publicly to making mistakes. (dpa)