News
Madagascar: Presidential election results trickling in – no outright winner expected, second round of polls seen
The real test will be if the results are challenged by any of the 33 candidates.
Rajoelina, 39, whose power grab prompted African powers to impose sanctions, urged all presidential hopefuls to accept the result. Most voters did not expect Friday’s election to produce an outright winner, who would need to secure more than half of the votes. “At the very least we are sure to make it through to a second round but we don’t exclude winning in the first round,” Robinson told reporters by phone.
His rival’s camp was equally buoyant. “We’re confident of going through to a second round,” Rajaonarimampianina’s campaign manager, Joabarison Randrianarivony said.
It could be more than a week before the election result is clear. Some polling stations were so remote it could take two or three days to motorbike the results to the nearest point where they can be electronically relayed to the CENIT in the capital.
Helicopters were being drafted in to collect ballot papers from the most far-flung voting centers, one electoral official familiar with the logistics told reporters.
Election observers said the vote was generally calm with no sign of voter intimidation, though numerous eligible voters complained they had been unable to vote after apparent glitches in the registration process.
