Madagascar votes in showdown between two ex-presidents

“For Marc Ravalomanana, his network cannot survive if he does not take power. For Rajoelina, his personal history is sullied by the (2009) coup, so he must win to rescue his honour.”

Ravalomanana is a former milkman from a peasant family who went on to build a business empire, while Rajoelina is a former party planner and successful entrepreneur with slick communication skills.

Madagascar is well known for its vanilla and precious redwood, yet is one of the world’s poorest countries, according to World Bank data, with 76 percent of people living in extreme poverty.

Outgoing president Hery Rajaonarimampianina was eliminated in the first round after collecting just nine percent.

The country’s 25,000 polling stations close at 5:00 pm (1400 GMT).