This is not the first time the president has faced angry protesters

Life in the capital has been further paralysed by a general strike called by opposition candidate Marc Ravalomanana, who insists he is the outright winner of December's presidential elections.

The protests in Antananarivo - where Mr Ravalomanana is mayor - have been massive, at times gathering more than half a million people.

But it is uncertain whether such overpowering opposition is reflected in Madagascar's other five provinces, the president's traditional power base.

It also remains unclear whether the protests are an accurate indication of Mr Ravalomanana's popularity or simply a sign of the Malagasy people's general disillusionment with the current government.

Angry protests

Mr Ravalomanana is insisting he won December's presidential elections outright and has called for the resignation of incumbent President Didier Ratsiraka.

Ravalomanana has many allies

But this is not the first time the one-time socialist president, who has ruled for more than 20 years and is now seeking a fifth term in office, has faced angry protesters.

In 1991, presidential security forces fired on a peaceful demonstration outside the presidential palace, killing more than 100 people.

In 1993, Zafy Albert was elected president in the first multiparty elections, but was impeached for violating the constitution after a disastrous three-year term.

Mr Ratsiraka, who leads the island's largest party, Arema, was voted back into power in an election marked by widespread apathy.

The sheer scale of recent protests has posed the question of whether the president has underestimated the Malagasy people's desire for change.

Mayor's rapid rise

Mr Ravalomanana was until recently known only as the multi-millionaire owner of the largest non-foreign owned company operating on the island.

Mr Ravalomanana's lavish promises of jobs for everyone have not fallen on deaf ears

His rapid rise in popularity however can be largely attributed to his achievements as the mayor of Antananarivo, a position he has occupied since 1998

Some of his decisions as mayor have proven controversial, such as the brutal demolition of tenant housing in some of Antananarivo's poorest areas and his generally uncompromising stance on unemployment.

But he has made a name for himself as someone who gets things done, particularly in terms of successfully cleaning up the capital.

Furthermore, as vice-president of the Protestant church, Mr Ravalomanana has won himself many allies in a country where the majority of the population are devout Christians.

The president has maintained a frosty relationship with the church.

Lavish promises

While Mr Ravalomanana has no political party and little political experience, his dynamic election campaign and self-styled image of poor-boy-made-good have gained him enormous popularity.

President Ratsiraka has ruled for more than 20 years

His lavish promises of jobs for everyone have not fallen on deaf ears and many look to him to provide an answer to Madagascar's increasingly desperate poverty.

The contrast between the current political climate in Madagascar and the apathy of the 1996 presidential elections since Mr Ravalomanana's entrance into politics cannot be over emphasized.

Evidently for many of his supporters he represents the urgent need for political change in a country that has been ruled by the same leader for so long.