Maldives elections 'are delayed'

he first multi-party presidential polls in the Maldives will not be held on time because of parliamentary delays in passing reforms, officials say.

They say that the new date for the vote is yet to be decided.

President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has already said he will stand in the poll, seeking a seventh term in power.

The announcement of an election follows reforms introduced after Mr Gayoom was accused of crushing pro-democracy protests in 2004.

"The date will be delayed. It depends on which day next week they pass the bills. It's hard to say if we can have an election by 10 October," Mohamed Tholal, assistant director-general of the Elections Commission, told the Reuters news agency.

Under the terms of a new constitution that President Gayoom signed into law last month, 10 October is the date by which the vote must be held.

"If there were a failure to meet the deadline, the country would go into a constitutional void," Information Minister Mohamed Nasheed told Reuters.

He blamed members of parliament for the delay.

Source: BBC