A former finance minister, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, won Madagascar’s first presidential election since a coup in 2009, but his closest rival said the vote had been rigged, raising concerns the nation could remain mired in political turmoil.
The electoral commission said Friday that Mr. Rajaonarimampianina, the candidate backed by the departing president, who took power nearly five years ago, won 53.5 percent of the Dec. 20 vote. His opponent, Jean Louis Robinson, who ended up with 46.5 percent, has demanded a recount. Mr. Robinson’s camp has filed almost 300 complaints to the electoral court, which has to rule on the commission’s provisional result by Jan. 19.
If Mr. Rajaonarimampianina, above, is officially declared the winner, he will be the head of state with the longest family name, at 19 letters, according to a survey by the British newspaper The Guardian. His full name is Hery Martial Rakotoarimanana Rajaonarimampianina.
