Madagascar recount begins

Blockades on Antananarivo remain in place

By the BBC's Alastair Leithead Antananarivo

A recount of votes from the presidential election in Madagascar has begun in the capital, four months after the original poll.

This so called "confrontation" of votes was demanded by the challenger, Marc Ravalomanana, and hundreds of thousands of his supporters amid allegations of fraud when the results were published.

Ravalomanana has been demanding a recount for four months

But it has taken what has essentially been a coup - with Mr Ravalomanana declaring himself president and installing a new government - for the incumbent president, Didier Ratsiraka, to agree to a recount.

It is part of a deal signed between the two men in Senegal last week to end the political crisis.

However, blockades surrounding the capital must be lifted to fulfil the accord, and they are still in place.

Re-installed

The composition of the High Constitutional Court (HCC) was changed by President Ratsiraka shortly before the December election - an act declared illegal last week.

Its official results gave Mr Ravalomanana a clear lead, but not the absolute majority needed for him to become president without a second round of voting.

High Constitutional Court judges were sacked just before the election

There were accusations of fraud and vote-rigging and Mr Ravalomanana refused to go to the second round until there had been a re-count.

This started the political crisis which led to him assuming power in the country and declaring himself president.

The old HCC judges, now re-installed, will look again at the polling station returns and give a new official result.

"We count again the votes of each candidate - a big task but we must do it. It's an independent court and what we say is valuable," HCC spokesman Samuel Ralison said.

In return for Mr Ravalomanana giving up his self-declared title of president, Mr Ratsiraka agreed to allow a recount to go ahead and lift barricades which have crippled the economy and isolated the capital.

If the recount is inconclusive, there will be a referendum to choose the president within six months.