A second round of voting will be needed in the Democratic Republic of Congos landmark presidential poll after none of the candidates won 50 per cent of the vote, BBC Online reports Monday.
Incumbent President Joseph Kabila took a 45 per cent share, while his nearest rival Jean-Pierre Bemba won 20 per cent. The pair are now set to face each other in a run-off on 29 October.
The 30 July election was the first democratic poll to be held in the country since it gained independence in 1960. Turn-out was about 70 per cent of the 25 million registered voters.
Some observers believe the second round could help stave off violence that may have greeted an outright win by Mr Kabila, particularly in the capital, Kinshasa, where Mr Bemba is hugely popular.
The results show a regional division in DR Congo, a country two-thirds the size of western Europe. Mr Bemba won most votes in the west of the country, while Mr Kabila gained most support in the Swahili-speaking east.
The first round of voting, involving 25 million voters, was the most expensive poll the UN had ever run, and a second round is also expected to be a costly and difficult exercise.
The polls are meant to put an end to a transition process established after five years of war that ended in 2003, BBC adds.
