The first-ever democratic presidential battle in the Maldives goes to a second round Tuesday, with Asia’s longest serving leader facing his most outspoken critic, a former political prisoner.
Elections three weeks ago produced no clear winner after Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has run the Indian Ocean archipelago unchallenged for 30 years, failed to deliver a knockout blow to second-placed Mohamed “Anni” Nasheed. The two rivals held final campaign rallies on Sunday night in the capital Male where more than a quarter of the 208,000 electorate is concentrated.
“What we really need is another 10,000 votes and Gayoom is comfortably home. But for the opposition, they need to get much, much more than that,” spokesman Mohammed Shareef said. In the October 8 vote, Gayoom won 41 percent - short of the 50 percent required to avoid a run-off - while Nasheed collected 25 percent. Many Maldivians say they are eager to see a fresh face in charge of their atoll nation, which, despite its image as a beach paradise, is beset by a critical housing shortage, rising crime and drug abuse.
“Lots of young people support Anni,” a party worker at Gayoom’s rally said. “But we feel he will pull through with support from the older voters and especially women. ” said the worker, who asked not to be named. The polling earlier this month struggled with various irregularities, which Ibrahim said included glitches with voter lists, identity cards and indelible ink washing off voters’ hands.However, European Union observers declared that the voting was fair.
Source: afp
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