Anicet-Georges Dologuele casts his ballot in Bangui

National Election Authority (ANE) president Marie-Madeleine Nkouet has announced the provisional results for last week’s election in Central African Republic, which showed former prime minister, Anicet Georges Dologuele on top.

But his margin of victory fell short of the  majority needed to clinch victory.

Dologuele won 23.78 percent of votes, followed by another former prime minister, Faustin Archange Touadera, with 19.42 percent,

In the absence of an absolute majority, the constitutional court is set to announce a second round run-off. The provisional date for this is Jan. 31.

Thirty contenders were vying to lead the former French colony where a three-year sectarian conflict has killed thousands of people and driven a million others from their homes despite efforts by U.N. and French peacekeepers to restore order.

Violence intensified when mainly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power in early 2013, prompting reprisals from anti-balaka militias drawn from the Christian majority.

Twenty of the candidates had previously voiced objections to the vote and urged for counting to halt but most of them have since changed their position.