Opposition candidate Ibrahim Soleih declared victory in Maldives election

In Maldives, Opposition candidate Ibrahim Soleih declared victory on National television and called on President Yameen to respect the will of the people and ensure a smooth transition of power.

Shortly after the official announcement in Male, former President Mohammad Nasheed spoke to the International media in Colombo and thanked the Government of Sri Lanka for providing safe haven to them.

The Maldivian elections commission has announced that the official result will be released by the 30th of September (7 days after the election). Reports are emerging that MDP supporters have taken to the street to celebrate their candidate’s victory and are calling on the President to concede within seven days as required by law

The United States in a statement, congratulated the people of the Maldives, who peacefully raised their democratic voices to determine the future of their country. Although the Election Commission has not yet announced the final tally, we note Maldives’ media and NGO reports that the Joint Opposition candidate has secured a victory following a peaceful day of polling. We urge calm and respect for the will of the people as the election process concludes.”

Earlier:

Polling has closed in some parts the Maldives for the country’s presidential elections after the elections commission extended voting time by three hours because of “extraordinary high turnout”, an official said.

A raid on the opposition’s main campaign office and the specter of U.S. sanctions on government officials did not deter thousands of people from voting Sunday in the Maldives’ presidential election, widely seen as a referendum on the island nation’s young democracy.

As officials began tabulating votes after the polls closed at 7 p.m., people in the Maldives and observers outside the tiny, tropical South Asian country waited for the results to see whether the opposition’s cries of a rigged vote would be validated.

Al Jazeera:

Voters in the Indian Ocean island nation complained on Sunday of long delays as they queued in snaking lines across the country to cast their ballots. Some reported waiting periods of more than eight hours.

The vote, seen as a referendum on democracy, will decide whether the country’s President Abdulla Yameen will win a second five-year term.

“Voting has been extended for three hours across all polling stations, in and outside the country, because people are still queued up to vote,” said Ahmed Akram, deputy head of the national electoral body.