A resident of Antananarivo, Jacqueline Ramamonjisoa, said the opposition is the problem because the people want elections. She said the opposition groups should "not try to cause trouble. The right to vote does not belong to one person, but to all the Malagasy people."

Another resident of the Malagasy capital, Njaka Rabenatoandro, said the referendum cannot restore stability to the country unless it is supported by the international community.

He said the election will not solve anything because the solution is to find a way for the international community to recognize Madagascar - and as of now, it does not.

International support lacking

The African Union and Southern African Development Community suspended Madagascar following the coup. Western donors have withheld hundreds of millions of dollars worth of non-humanitarian aid.

International negotiators mediated a series of power-sharing deals between Mr. Rajoelina and the main opposition leaders. They collapsed, though, after the rivals failed to agree on how to share the top posts.

A coordinator with the Johannesburg-based Electoral Institute for the Sustainability of Democracy (in Africa), Nirina Rajaonarivo, said the vote is not likely to change the situation.

Rajaonarivo said if the "yes" vote wins and voter participation is very low, that will undermine the credibility of the referendum.

If the "yes" vote wins and turnout is very high, she said the transitional government will declare victory and legitimacy.