THE PRESIDENT BEING GREETED AND PRESENTING MEDALS; TROOPS MARCHING PAST; CROWD OF ONLOOKERS; PRESIDENT MAKING SPEECH; TRADITIONAL DANCERS.




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Background: THE MALAGASY REPUBLICS CELEBRATED ITS 10TH NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE DAY YESTERDAY (MONDAY) WITH A MILITARY PARADE IN TANANARIVE ATTENDED BY PRESIDENT PHILIBERT TSIRANANA. THE PARADE LASTED TWO HOURS.

THE CELEBRATIONS WERE ACTUALLY LAUNCHED ON THE 4TH OF THIS MONTHS WITH THE DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD TO THE NEEDY IN TANANARIVE. MALAGASY, WHICH CHOSE TO REMAIN IN THE FRENCH IS THE 5TH LARGEST ISLAND IN THE WORLD, FORMERLY KNOWN AS MADAGASCAR. IT HAS A POPULATION OF MORE THAN 6,600,000. LYING JUST OFF THE SOUTH EAST COAST OF THE AFRICAN CONTINENT, THE ISLAND'S ECONOMY IS MAINLY AGRICULTURAL.

MONDAY'S CELEBRATIONS WERE ALSO ATTENDED BY FOREIGN GUESTS, DIPLOMATS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. PRESIDENT DE GAULLE OF FRANCE WAS REPRESENTED BY HIS MINISTER OF POSTS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS, M. YVES GUENA. THE MILITARY PARADE WAS LED WERE CONTINGENTS OF THE NATIONAL MILITARY FORCES, VETERANS, STUDENTS AND SCHOOL CHILDREN.

IN HIS SPEECH TO THE HUGE, FESTIVE GATHERING, PRESIDENT TSIRANANA SAID THAT "THE TIME OF POLITICS" WAS EVER, AND THAT THE COUNTRY WAS GENUINELY UNITED AND READY TO HAVE TEN NEW YEARS THAT WOULD BE TOTALLY DEVOTED TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF MALAGASY. HE ALSO THANKED FRANCE FOR IT'S ASSISTANCE. IN A NEWSPAPER INTERVIEW RECENTLY, THE PRESIDENT PLEDGED A CONTINUATION OF FRANCO-MALAGASY CO-OPERATION.