A run off presidential election is likely to take place in December in Madagascar where two former presidents are in a tight race, according to results announced Wednesday from 70 percent of polling stations.
After voting 7 days ago, former transitional president Andry Rajoelina is in the lead with 39 percent of the votes counted, closely followed by former president Marc Ravalomanana with 36 percent.
The most recent president, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, is far behind with 7 percent, according to results from 17,097 of the 24,852 polling stations, according to the national electoral commission. A total of 36 candidates contested the Nov. 7 election.
All the leading candidates have expressed doubts about the reliability commission’s results. Madagascar has been shaken many times by post-election crises.
“The computer processing of results by the CENI (electoral commission) is not transparent,” said Rajoelina’s representative in a statement, which said they would no longer observe the commission’s counting.
Ravalomanana expressed concern over voting malpractice. “There are many CENI publications that do not correspond to the minutes we have. We request the publication and access to electronic files of polling station results by polling station, said Hanitra Razafimanantsoa, ??a lawyer for Ravalomanana.
-AP