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Maldives opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who has campaigned fiercely against President Abdulla Yameen, said Sunday he won the presidential election with a margin of 16 percent after counting 92 percent of the vote.
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Maldivian presidential candidate backed by the opposition coalition, jumps beside his supporters during the last presidential election campaign in Malé, Maldives, September 22 2018. REUTERS / Ashwa Faheem
The provisional results counted in 446 of the 472 polls in 1943 showed that the opposition was in the lead with a margin of 16.6%, the Mihaaru news website reported.
"It's a moment of happiness, a moment of hope. It's a trip that ended at the polls because people wanted it, "said Solih, better known as Ibu, in Male.
"The message is loud and clear. The people of Maldives want change, peace and justice. I would like to ask President Yameen to accept the will of the people and start a smooth transition of power, in accordance with the constitution, "he said.
Hundreds of people gathered in front of Malé's main opposition center in a cheerful mood, chanting "Ibu, Ibu, Ibu" and calling Yameen to concede defeat.
Yameen was expected to strengthen its grip on power because of criticism of the fairness of voting on the best-known islands as a luxury vacation destination.
The Indian Ocean Electoral Commission extended the three-hour vote due to long queues at the polling stations and Yameen PPM party officials said the results of the zones
"If we win or lose, PPM has the courage to accept the decision of the Maldivian people," Ahmed Nihan, a member of the ruling party, told Twitter.
The electoral commission has announced that it will publish the official results by September 30, as stipulated in the constitution.
The United States and India both congratulated the Maldives for their peaceful elections and noted that it seemed likely that Solih's opposition coalition had won.
"We call for calm and respect for the will of the people at the end of the electoral process," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.
RIVALS JAILED
Yameen's media representatives declined to comment on Solih's claim.
The Muslim-majority nation has become a theater of rivalry between its traditional partner, India and China, which has supported Yameen's infrastructure campaign and raised concerns in the West about Beijing's growing influence.
The Yameen government has imprisoned many of its main rivals, including the former president and his half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, accused of terrorism and corruption.
More than a quarter of a million people were eligible to vote in the Coral Islands, where Yameen, 59, is seeking a second five-year term.
Hundreds of people lined up outside polling stations in Male on Sunday morning. On some islands, people began queuing on Saturday night.
"I vote to come back to an error I made in 2013. I vote to release President Maumoon (Gayoom)," Nazima Hassan, 44, told Reuters after voting at Male.
Abdul Rasheed Husain, 46, told Male that he had voted for Yameen to take the Maldives "to the next level".
In the voting booth of the Maldivian Embassy in Colombo, some voters had to wait more than seven hours.
Mohamed Shareef Hussain, the Maldives envoy to Colombo, said the Electoral Commission had not allocated enough staff, causing delays.
Police raided the main opposition campaign office on Saturday night, saying they had come to "stop illegal activities" after arresting at least five opposition supporters for "influencing voters", said opposition officials.
British Ambassador James Dauris wrote on Twitter that it was "easy to understand why so many people are concerned about what could happen on election day".
INTERNATIONAL MONITORS REMAIN
Most observers, including those from the European Union and the United Nations, declined the government's invitation to observe the elections, fearing that their presence would be used to support Yameen's re-election even after a possible vote rigging .
Rohana Hettiarachchi, a member of the Asian Network for Free Elections, who was appointed as an election observer, said that his organization could not participate.
"Our four members have been invited and the Electoral Commission has put our name on the list of international observers. But we did not get the required visa, "he told Reuters.
Transparency Maldives, one of the few election observers on the ground, said the initial vote had gone well and that Solih was on the road to a categorical victory.
"Our quick results indicate that Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won the presidential election of 2018 with a decisive margin," the statement said. "We call on all stakeholders to maintain an environment conducive to a peaceful transfer of power."
The country has been in political turmoil since February, when Yameen imposed a state of emergency to overturn a Supreme Court ruling that overturned the convictions of nine opposition leaders, including Mohamed Nasheed, chief executive officer. democratically elected.
Nasheed, who is in exile in Sri Lanka, told reporters in Colombo that the vote was about democracy and freedom.
Before the vote, Human Rights Watch urged foreign governments to put pressure on the Maldives to defend democratic rights.
"If the Maldivian government does not do this, it should impose targeted sanctions, such as those proposed by the European Union, against senior officials of the ruling party involved in abuses," the group said. New York.
Additional report by Ranga Sirilal; Written by Shihar Aneez and Sanjeev Miglani; Edited by Nick Macfie, David Goodman and Michael Perry
