| |
MALE : The first-ever democratic presidential battle in the Maldives is to go into a second round after Asia's longest-serving leader failed to deliver a knock-out blow to his rivals, officials said Thursday.
Incumbent President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom -- who has run the Indian Ocean archipelago unchallenged for 30 years -- won Wednesday's landmark vote with 40 percent, short of the majority needed to avoid a tough run-off.
He will have to face his most outspoken critic -- former political prisoner Mohamed "Anni" Nasheed -- who was in second place with 25 percent.
Gayoom told reporters that he was "proud" of the result, even though he had predicted a first round win.
He said he was in a strong position to win the second round, which must be held within 10 days, and that his lead proved he was still "the most popular public figure" in the country.
But analysts say Gayoom will have a tough time fighting Nasheed in a run-off if supporters of the other opposition candidates rally behind the one-time Amnesty International "prisoner of conscience."
Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) was also upbeat on his chances.
"Gayoom said he would win in the first round, but even with all his dirty tricks, he did not get a majority. That shows he can be beaten," a party official said.
Opposition parties had charged that large numbers of their supporters had been removed from voters' lists and that Gayoom's party had engaged in vote buying and ballot stuffing.
The landmark presidential vote was the first time Gayoom had allowed any competition. Rival political parties were only allowed to be formed on the islands two years ago.
The elections are the climax of an effort to bring political freedoms to the Muslim nation in the wake of pro-democracy protests and international pressure. Turnout was strong with more than 80 percent of 208,000 eligible voters taking part, the election commission said.
Many Maldivians are eager to see a fresh face in charge of their atoll nation -- which despite its image as a beach paradise is beset by problems including a critical housing shortage, rising crime and drug abuse.
Political tensions have also been mounting.
In January, one islander tried to stab Gayoom with a kitchen knife, and a year ago several tourists were injured in the Maldives' first-ever terrorist attack, which was blamed on Islamic militants and followed by a tough crackdown.
While the cramped island capital Male is seen as an opposition stronghold, Gayoom -- with his conservative Muslim platform and father figure persona -- appears to be more popular on outlying islands.
Gayoom can also lay claim to having built South Asia's richest nation per capita, thanks to the opening of dozens of resorts on white sand beaches and crystal clear waters -- where some rooms cost up to 15,000 dollars a night.
"I feel I must be at the helm to see through the reform programme," Gayoom told reporters before the vote, positioning himself as a committed democrat rather than the Robert Mugabe-type politician his opponents paint him as.
And the president has also taken legal action against two opposition politicians who accused him of stealing 40 million dollars of tsunami aid and stashing away tens of millions more in a foreign bank account.
- AFP /ls
|
