Madagascar’s former leader Andry Rajoelina has submitted his papers seeking to run for the presidency.

Mr Rajoelina announced on Wednesday that he will stand in the November 7 presidential election.

“I am ready to devote my life to the nation,” he told his supporters at a meeting in the capital Antananarivo.

He is expected to face former president Marc Ravalomanana and the incumbent Hery Rajaonarimampianina in what is likely to be a heated race.

The two former heads of state were barred from contesting in 2013 in an attempt to end a long-standing political crisis following the 2009 coup that brought Mr Rajoelina to power having ousted Mr Ravalomanana.

New electoral laws that would have edged them out of the November vote were disputed with deadly protests rocking the capital since April.

The Constitutional Court scrapped some of the laws and ordered the president to reconstitute his cabinet and name a new prime minister in June.

The new Prime Minister Louis Christian Ntsay declared November 7 the election date with a run-off slated for December should none of the candidates attain 50 per cent of the vote.

Elected in 2013, Rajaonarimampianina is yet to declare whether he will stand for re-election.

Should he choose to participate, the electoral rules require him to first resign two months before the poll.

Four former prime ministers -- Monja Roindefo, Jean-Omer Beriziky, Gen Jean Ravelonarivo and Mahafaly Soloandrasana -- have also declared interest but are yet to submit their bids.

Other presidential aspirants are lawyer Herizo Rakotozafy, who has already handed in his application, and the founder of the Apocalypse Church pastor Christian Dieu Donné.

The High Constitutional Court began receiving applications for those seeking to run for the presidency on Wednesday.

The candidates have until August 21 to submit their papers.