Trailing Madagascar candidate contests presidential vote

Antananarivo (AFP) - The trailing candidate in Madagascar's presidential race on Tuesday legally challenged the results of the island's run-off vote which handed his rival a clear win.

Former health minister Robinson Jean Louis, backed by ousted leader Marc Ravalomanana, contests the published results from ballots in from nearly all polling stations.

"We have filed over 100 queries" with a special electoral court, Hasina Andriamadison, lawyer for Jean Louis, told journalists.

"We demand a finding of fraud and cancellation," he added, saying a request to disqualify the frontrunner had been lodged separately on Monday.

The vote is aimed at steering Madagascar back to stability after strongman Andry Rajoelina's overthrow of Ravalomanana triggered an economic and political crisis.

The full results are due to be announced on Friday.

But figures on the electoral commission website have put Hery Rajaonarimampianina in a seemingly unassailable position with 53.5 percent of the vote with results from more than 99 percent of polling stations counted.

Andriamadison said a check of their records had revealed several cases of fraud and irregularity.

There were differences with the figures published by the electoral commission and those of their observers at polling stations, he said.

Rajaonarimampianina is endorsed by Rajoelina, the outgoing transitional leader who seized power with the army's backing.

Jean Louis has claimed "massive fraud" since the day after the election and on Monday staged a live television broadcast on his allegations.

He has yet provided no tangible proof of his claims, and earlier failed in a bid to freeze the release of partial results.

International observers gave the vote the green light.

The challenges to the electoral court are mainly over the presidential election but petitions have also been filed over legislative polls held on the same day as the run-off on December 20.

The island's two main political players -- Rajoelina and Ravalomanana -- were barred from running in the polls amid fears of a return to violence.

They instead backed proxy candidates who went head-to-head this month after an inconclusive first round in October.