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Madagascar: Presidential election heads to run-off in December
(Reuters) – Madagascar’s first presidential election since a coup in 2009 will go to a run-off due in December after no candidate won an outright majority in last month’s first round vote, provisional results showed on Friday.
The head-to-head contest risked escalating political tensions on the Indian Ocean island-nation mined for its nickel and cobalt, pitting two aspirants backed by Madagascar’s biggest political rivals against each other.
External and southern African observers have said voting had been free and fair, a boost for Madagascar, which needs a credible election to rebuild investor confidence.
By 1300 GMT Friday, two weeks after polling day, results from voting stations accounting for 99.9 percent of registered voters had been validated by the electoral commission (CENIT).
The provisional numbers were shown on the CENIT website www.cenit-madagascar.mg .
They showed Hery Rajaonarimampianina, backed by coup-leader-turned-president Andry Rajoelina, with 15.9 percent of valid votes and Jean Louis Robinson, supported by Marc Ravalomanana, who Rajoelina ousted, with 21.1 percent.
“This is an election between Rajoelina and Ravalomanana,” said Mark Sorbara of Africa Risk Consulting. “Therefore the underpinnings of the politically and personally tense relationship between the two is still at play.”
