Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina has won re-election in the first round of a ballot boycotted by nearly all opposition candidates, the electoral commission announced on Saturday.
Andry Rajoelina, 49, won 58.95 percent of the vote in the first round of balloting on 16 November, it said.
Such a margin of victory would eliminate the need for a runoff election and give him a third term as leader of the Indian Ocean island of 28 million.
The turnout was fairly low after 10 of 12 opposition candidates called for a boycott complaining of an "institutional coup" in favour of the incumbent.
Rajoelina, a former DJ and mayor of the capital, Antananarivo, was president of a post-coup provisional government in 2009-2014.
He was elected president in 2019 and gained a degree of notoriety during the coronavirus pandemic by promoting a herbal drink as a cure for COVID-19.
The lead up to the 16 November election was marked by protests against Rajoelina led by opposition candidates.
Security forces fired tear gas grenades at demonstrators, and two opposition candidates sustained minor injuries.
Some polling stations were torched ahead of the election, which was delayed for a week because of the trouble.
(with newswires)
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