Prostitutes strip naked in protest

Ravalomanana declared himself president after the Decmeber poll showed neither him nor Ratsiraka the winner

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar — Prostitutes in Madagascar stripped naked to demand the lifting of roadblocks set up by supporters of the country's embattled president because it deprived them from clients and money.

A small group of women, who said the barricades had cost them vital income, took off their clothes on Thursday night outside the governor of the port of Tomasina's office demanding he met with them, newspapers reported.

After protesting in the nude outside the office and complaining they were having problems feeding their families due to the lack of tourists and other customers, Governor Samuel Lahady agreed to meet with the women.

According to media reports Lahady eventually handed them Madagascar francs worth about Ä833 ($733) to distribute among the 212 members of the prostitute union in Tomasina, the main port on the impoverished Indian Ocean island.

For more than two months supporters of Didier Ratsiraka — who has ruled the island for more than 20 years — and soldiers have blockaded the only road between the port of Toamasina and the capital, Antananarivo, to starve it of essential goods.

Antananarivo is controlled by opposition leader Marc Ravalomanana, who declared himself president after he said he was cheated of victory in elections last December and used massive rallies to seize control of ministries and take over government.