Dozens of soldiers on Sunday temporarily threw a cordon around a public square in Madagascar's capital where opposition protests against new electoral laws have left two people dead in the restive island nation. The soldiers later vacated the square in Antananarivo, clearing the way for some 100 opposition activists to gather, an AFP reporter at the scene said.
The demonstrators are protesting against new electoral laws that the opposition claim could stop some candidates from standing in upcoming presidential elections. The large Indian Ocean island is due to hold polls in late November or December.
Two people died in violence on Saturday, hospital chiefs updated on Sunday, and at least 16 were wounded after clashes between thousands of opposition activists and security forces in the square. Authorities had declared the Saturday protest illegal, but opposition activists defied the order. "I came here to pay homage to those killed yesterday here," said protester Nirina, who refused to give her surname.