Results from Madagascar's presidential election are slowly coming in, a day after voters cast ballots in the first such polling since a 2009 coup.
Thirty-three candidates are vying to be the country's next leader. Analysts predict no candidate will win enough votes to avoid a December runoff.
By late Saturday, election officials had released provisional results from about 2 percent of the country's more than 20,000 polling stations.
Two candidates, Jean Louis Robinson and Hery Rajaonarimampianina, had early lead. Robinson is backed by former president Marc Ravalomanana, who was ousted by current leader Andry Rajoelina in the 2009 coup, and Rajaonarimampianina has the support of Rajoelina's party.
Both Rajoelina and Ravalomanana were barred from running in the presidential election.
Foreign election monitors say Friday's polling was generally peaceful with no major problems. Election officials say about 56 percent of eligible voters cast ballots.
The Reuters news agency reports election officials have until November 8 to release results.
The country has been struggling to recover from the coup which plunged the African island nation into an economic crisis.
allAfrica.com
