Madagascar heads to the polls on Wednesday in a crunch head-to-head election between two arch-rivals who have dominated political life on the poverty-stricken Indian Ocean island for years.
The showdown between Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina could revive instability in the country if a close result is rejected by the losing candidate, analysts warn.
The two contenders will compete in the run-off election after coming first and second, far ahead of their competitors, in the preliminary vote in November.
Ravalomanana and Rajoelina were both banned from running in the 2013 election as part of an agreement to end recurring crises that have rocked Madagascar since independence from France in 1960.