ANTANANARIVO — A former health minister in Madagascar backed by ousted president Marc Ravalomanana took the lead in early vote counting in presidential elections, according to the country’s electoral agency.Jean Louis Robinson, of the Avana party, has captured 27.8% of votes cast, based on the results from about half of the 20,001 polling stations, according to Madagascar’s electoral agency based in the capital, Antananarivo. Finance Minister Hery Rajaonarimampianina has 14.7% of support.Full provisional results are due by next week Friday and the leading candidate needs to clear the 50% threshold to avoid a runoff. Thirty-three candidates ran in the last Friday’s election and the turnout of 7.8-million registered voters was 58.4%.The election to replace Andry Rajoelina is the first since he took power in a 2009 coup backed by the military, removing Mr Ravalomanana and plunging the country into an economic crisis.Madagascar has recorded no growth in the economy in the past four year...
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