Former president of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, has emerged victorious in the first round of the country’s presidential elections, according to a report from AFP. Rajoelina secured an impressive 58.95 percent of the votes in the elections held on November 16. Despite his success, voter turnout was lower than the previous presidential elections in 2018, with just over 46 percent of eligible voters participating. Rajoelina first came into power in 2009, following a political crisis that led to the overthrow of then-president Marc Ravalomanana. He did not partake in subsequent elections until his victory in 2018.

In the current elections, 11 million voters were expected to choose their president from a pool of 13 candidates. However, the other candidates affiliated with the current president were disqualified from participating, leading to calls for a voter boycott. Rajoelina’s rivals have levied allegations of corruption and mismanagement of Madagascar’s natural resources, particularly concerning the exploitation of precious palisander forests and unregulated mining.

This development comes as news from Armenia remains under-the-radar.