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 The electoral commission said on Friday that Rajaonarimampianina,
the candidate backed by outgoing President Andry Rajoelina who
spearheaded the coup nearly five years ago, won 53.5 percent of the
December 20 vote.
He beat Jean Louis Robinson, who ended up with 46.5 percent and has
demanded a recount. Robinson's camp has filed almost 300 complaints
to the electoral court, which has to rule on the commission's
provisional result by January 19.
Celebrations were muted in the capital, Antananarivo, where
Rajaonarimampianina had struggled to win support in the first round.
"I urge the Malagasy people to await the final result in complete
serenity," Rajaonarimampianina told reporters.
Asked about the vote fraud allegations, he said: "It's (Robinson)
who says that and not the people."
There was no immediate comment from Robinson, who stayed away from
the results declaration.
CRISIS MANAGEMENT
The poll is meant to end a crisis that has driven out investors, cut
aid flows and sharply slowed the economy.
But a protracted dispute over the outcome would be likely to add
fuel to the Indian Ocean island's already volatile political mix and
delay restoring the external budget support needed to drive public
spending and boost anaemic growth. "The president-elect needs to
be careful because there is a real risk of instability," said
student Dina Faralahy. "The next administration will be fragile
because it is hardly representative of the population if you look at
turnout."
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Just over half of the 7.9 million registered voters cast a ballot in
the second round, the CENIT said, reflecting a broad distrust of
politicians that has deepened along with poverty levels in one of
Africa's poorest states.
Madagascar also voted in a legislative poll on December 20.
"I don't think the electoral court will change anything," said taxi
driver Faniry Ravelomanana. "We have to turn a new page and await
the results of the legislative elections."
Rajaonarimampianina's narrow margin of victory suggests there is all
to play for in the parliamentary vote, raising the possibility of a
French-style 'cohabitation' in which the president and parliamentary
majority come from different political camps.
That could paralyze policymaking, analysts say, doing little to
restore confidence in Madagascar's mining and petroleum exploration
industries.
(Writing by Richard Lough; editing by John Stonestreet)
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