Ravalomanana contests Madagascar vote result

Defeated Madagascar presidential candidate Marc Ravalomana has appealed the election's result to the country's top court, his campaign director said Thursday.

Anisoa Tseheno Rabenja told media that he and Ravalomana filed papers with the Constitutional Court just hours after the electoral commission announced complete results from a run-off vote held last week.

The commission named Andry Rajoelina as the winner.

"We have filed several petitions today ...which concern anomalies and flaws at the level of the CENI (the electoral commission) during this election," Rabenja said.

The court has nine days to formally name the new president after it has reviewed the petitions.

Rabenja accused the electoral commission of a "premeditated act" in helping Rajoelina commit "massive fraud".

"The electoral commission facilitated the fraud committed by candidate 13, Andry Rajoelina," he said after results showed that Rajoelina had won 55.66 per cent of the vote against 44.34 per cent for Ravalomanana.

The results were announced under high security at the electoral commission headquarters during a ceremony that Ravalomana boycotted.

He has complained about missing serial numbers on some ballots, among other irregularities cited in the court papers.

Commission chief Hery Rakotomanana said earlier that "efforts were made to respond" to concerns raised by both candidates, including a review of the counting software.

The two-round election was marred by mutual accusations of vote-rigging in a country with a long history of instability.

Rajoelina called for unity and a peaceful transfer of power, saying the eyes of the world were on the island nation.

The candidates, both of whom are former presidents, have two days to file complaints.

They were both banned from running in a 2013 election as part of an agreement to end recurring crises that have rocked Madagascar since it gained independence from France in 1960.