Africa News
Presidential election in Madagascar, incumbent favourite (Roundup)
Dec 3, 2006, 16:54 GMT
Antananarivo, Madagascar - Six million people in the east African island of Madagascar went to the polls Sunday to elect a new president.
Incumbent President Marc Ravalomanana, 56, is expecting an absolute majority over 13 other candidates in the first round, in the absence of which the voting will got to a second round in 30 days.
The election on the world's fourth-largest island is the first since 2001, when an election ended in civil war after former dictator Didier Ratsiraka refused to concede defeat. He later went into exile, opening the way for Ravalomanana to take power in 2002.
By mid-afternoon, voting was proceeding smoothly amid a countrywide alcohol ban on election day.
Some 149 election monitors were on hand for the poll, and 7,000 police were providing security in the country's 22 regions.
Reliable provisional results are only expected in 10 to 15 days, with final results not expected for three to four weeks.
More than half the population on this impoverished island, where two thirds of the population live on less than a dollar a day, are aged under 18.
Several people also have no birth certificate and were unable to register to vote, explaining why only six out of 18 million residents were eligible to cast a ballot.
At Madagascar's request, South Africa sent two helicopters and a cargo plane along with personnel to help retrieve votes from outlying areas.
© 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
blog comments powered by DisqusLatest Headlines in Africa
- 1. Several dead in car bombing in northern Nigeria
- 2. Mogadishu blast kills seven, including sports chiefs
- 3. Seven dead in Mogadishu suicide bomb attack
- 4. ANC suspends Youth League leader with immediate effect
- 5. Police arrest Uganda's opposition leader and others at protest march
Older Talkback
