Antananarivo - The Madagascar military opened fire on an

Antananarivo - The nearly two-week-long political crisis in Madagascar, the world's biggest producer of vanilla, has raised concerns for exports of the fragrant spice, local media reported Friday.

Madagascar, an island located off south-east Africa, supplies up to 80 per cent of the world's vanilla, and exports of last year's harvest are due to begin shipping this month.

But producers fear that exports could be affected if the unrest that began in the capital Antananarivo last week, when tens of thousands of people demonstrated against President Marc Ravalomanana's rule, continues, Midi Madagasikara newspaper reported.

Antananarivo  - Around 8,000 demonstrators marched through the capital of the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar Wednesday in support of Antananarivo ex-mayor Andry Rajoelina, who is embroiled in a bitter power struggle with President Marc Ravalomanana.

The 34-year-old former mayor who last week unilaterally declared himself the island's leader has called for a sit-in in front of his former offices.

Antananarivo  - An opposition campaign to unseat Madagascar's President Marc Ravalomanana ran into a series of roadblocks Tuesday, as opposition leaders were arrested or removed from power.

Diplomatic circles reported Tuesday that Andry Rajoelina, mayor of the capital Antananarivo, had been removed from office by Ravalomanana and replaced with Guy Rivo Randrianarisoa, a state secretary.

No opposition was reported from Rajoelina's camp Rajoelina had, on Tuesday, predicted the attempt to remove him from office.

Antananarivo - The campaign by Madagascar's opposition to force President Marc Ravalomanana from office suffered a blow when six of its leaders were arrested in the eastern port city of Toamasina, a local newspaper reported.

L'Express daily newspaper said the six opposition figures were nabbed for planning a rally in support of the mayor of the capital Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina. No official confirmation was immediately available.

Antananarivo - The mayor of Madagascar's capital Antananarivo on Monday said he had approached the country's top court, the Supreme Court, with a list of complaints against President Marc Ravalomanana and a request to strip him of his powers.

Andry Rajoelina, 34, who has led a wave of anti-government protests over the past 10 days, also said he would start putting together a transitional government, which he says he will lead.

Ravalomanana, 59, who was reelected to a second five-year term in 2006, has dismissed the mayor's coup threat and declared he is fully in control of the impoverished Indian Ocean island.