Antananarivo - Madagascar is heading for a December run-off vote in the first presidential elections since a coup in 2009 sent the country into chaos, according to first-round results released by the Election Commission on Friday.
The frontrunners from the more than 30 candidates are Jean-Louis Robinson, who received 21.10 per cent of the votes and Hery Rajaonarimampianina, who garnered 15.93 per cent.
The figures from the first round on October 25 will be again confirmed by the commission on November 23, to ensure that no errors were made. The run-off is set to take place on December 20.
Rajaonarimampianina is considered a proxy of President Andry Rajoelina, who led the military-backed coup four years ago, ousting then-president Marc Ravalomanana, who is seen as being represented in the election by Robinson, a former health minister.
Voter turnout was 61.85 per cent, the commission said. Some 7.8
million people registered to vote in the nation of 22 million.
The elections are crucial to ending the impoverished Indian Ocean island's post-coup isolation. Donors drastically cut aid after the coup and the Malagasi hope that foreign assistance will resume after the next round of voting.
Prior to the coup, aid made up about 70 per cent of the government's budget. Since 2009, the economy has been contracting and poverty worsening.
Observers noted some problems with the elections, including citizens not finding their names on voter rolls. But overall, the first round was seen as fair.
Sapa-dpa