Run-off vote expected in Maldives election

Preliminary results in the Maldives first multi-party election show Asia's longest serving leader is unlikely to avoid a run-off vote.

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who's ruled the country for 30 years, has taken the lead in the islands' first democratic election, but preliminary results indicated he would fall short of a majority need to avoid a run-off.

The final official results are expected later today.

Australian MP Fran Bailey, who's in the Maldives as part of an eight-member Commowealth Observer Mission, has told Radio Australia the election was well-organised at a local level, but there were some issues with voter ID cards.

"In virtually every island, there were people ranging in numbers from a handful to large numbers of people who had not received their ID cards, and of course they can't vote without those," she said.

Source: www.radioaustralia.net.au