Ravalomanana reads mischief as he trails in Madagascar presidential run off race
Madagascar presidential candidate Marc Ravalomanana is reading mischief in the country’s presidential run off race as he appears to be losing ground to his opponent Andry Rajoelina in the early results tally.
The former president called on his supports to protest the results as he looked destined for defeat.
Rajoelina was credited with victory according to provisional results from the vote held last Wednesday.
“I call on all Madagascans who feel they have suffered injustice and a violation of their right to vote to stand up and dare to defend their choice,” Ravalomanana told his supports.
The presidential run off race has been plagued by allegations of fraud from both sides and a contested result would raise the risk of continued political instability in the coup-prone Indian Ocean island nation.
The result published on Sunday by the electoral commission after more than four million ballots were counted gave Rajoelina 55.08 percent of the vote while Ravalomanana trailed with 44.92 percent, with more than three-quarters of voting stations reporting in.
Just under five million people are estimated to have gone to the polls, and a final tally is expected in the coming days.
Both candidates had claimed victory after polls closed on Wednesday, and EU election observers have said they had not seen evidence of wrongdoing.
“The Madagascans voted in a peaceful atmosphere in a transparent and well-organised poll,” mission head Cristian Preda told reporters.
Rajoelina and Ravalomanana have fought a fiercely personal duel for power, and both spent lavishly on campaigning with promises and handouts distributed liberally to voters who are among the poorest in Africa.
Ravalomanana, 69, is a former milkman from a peasant family who built a business empire.
Elected president in 2002, he was forced to resign seven years later following protests fueled by Rajoelina, who had been elected mayor of the capital Antananarivo.
Rajoelina, now 44, was then installed by the army and ruled until 2014. He is a former events planner and successful entrepreneur with slick communication skills.
