Madagascar’s incumbent President Andry Rajoelina has won a third term, in a disputed election which boycotted by the opposition and its supporters.
Andry Rajoelina won 59% of the vote to defeat his two closest rivals, ousted ex-President Marc Ravalomanana and Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko.
The election is reported to have recorded the lowest in the island country’s history with voter turnout of 46%.
The low turnout followed calls for poll boycott by 10 presidential contenders.
They also withdrew their candidacies over concerns about the credibility of the election and denounced President Rajoelina’s bid for a third term and the validity of his candidacy, given his dual French nationality.
The constitutional court dismissed their appeals to annul Mr Rajoelina’s candidacy. He also dismissed the accusations and called them a political tactic.
The candidates who withdrew names were still on the ballot paper. Mr Randrianasoloniaiko gained 14% of the vote and Mr Ravalomanana 12%.
The constitutional court has nine days to confirm the results announced on Saturday by Madagascar’s electoral body, Ceni.
The opposition parties that boycotted the election has already declared that it will not recognise the results of the 16 November poll.
There were six weeks of demonstrations and clashes with police in the build-up to the election, prompting the imposition of a curfew in Antananarivo on the eve of the poll.
Mr Rajoelina, 49-year-old entrepreneur and former DJ, won a presidential run-off vote against Mr Ravalomanana in 2018, after neither of them obtained more than 50% of the vote as required to be declared president in the first round.
