Ex-prisoner wins Maldives election
A former political prisoner has unseated Asia's longest-serving leader to become the first democratically elected president of the Maldives, election officials say.
Mohamed Nasheed, the leader of the Maldivian Democratic party (MDP), beat incumbent Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, securing about 54 per cent of the votes, Mohamed Ibrahim, the election commissioner, said.
Gayoom, president since 1978, secured only 46 per cent of the votes in the keenly contested presidential run-off poll in which nearly 87 per cent of the nation's 209,000 registered voters cast their ballots.
In the first round of voting three weeks ago Gayoom, the leader of the ruling Dhivehi Rahyithunge party (DRP), took 40 per cent of the votes but failed to secure an outright victory.
Before Tuesday's run-off Nasheed, a former political prisoner and outspoken critic of Gayoom, had appealed to the incumbent for a "peaceful transition" on promises of deeper democratic reforms.
After election officials confirmed Nasheed's victory, opposition supporters poured into the streets on Wednesday in celebration.
Al Jazeera
A former political prisoner has unseated Asia's longest-serving leader to become the first democratically elected president of the Maldives, election officials say.
Mohamed Nasheed, the leader of the Maldivian Democratic party (MDP), beat incumbent Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, securing about 54 per cent of the votes, Mohamed Ibrahim, the election commissioner, said.
Gayoom, president since 1978, secured only 46 per cent of the votes in the keenly contested presidential run-off poll in which nearly 87 per cent of the nation's 209,000 registered voters cast their ballots.
In the first round of voting three weeks ago Gayoom, the leader of the ruling Dhivehi Rahyithunge party (DRP), took 40 per cent of the votes but failed to secure an outright victory.
Before Tuesday's run-off Nasheed, a former political prisoner and outspoken critic of Gayoom, had appealed to the incumbent for a "peaceful transition" on promises of deeper democratic reforms.
After election officials confirmed Nasheed's victory, opposition supporters poured into the streets on Wednesday in celebration.
Al Jazeera
