MALE: Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has taken a 15 percentage point lead over incumbent Abdulla Yameen in the Maldives’ presidential election, according to early provisional counts reported by local media.

Yameen was expected to cement his grip on power, amid criticism over the fairness of the vote on the islands, best known as a luxury holiday destination.

Voting closed at 1900 hours (1400 GMT), after the Indian Ocean nation’s Election Commission extended voting by three hours due to long queues at polling stations.

The provisional results counted in 250 out of 472 vote boxes as of 1640 GMT, showed the opposition leading by a margin of 15.4 per cent, according to local media, Mihaaru. The provisional results for the remaining 222 vote boxes, with an estimated 130,000 voters are yet to be released.

The opposition said their own exit polls showed their candidate had secured 63 per cent of vote, and added that they were closely monitoring the count.

Yameen’s party officials told Reuters that results from areas where he has strong support have still to be released.

Yameen’s government has jailed many of his main rivals, including former president and his half-brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, on charges ranging from terrorism to corruption.

More than a quarter of a million people were eligible to vote across the coral islands. Yameen, 59, is seeking a second five-year term.

Police late on Saturday raided the main opposition campaign office saying they came to “stop illegal activities”, after arresting at least five opposition supporters for “influencing voters”, opposition officials said.

Most poll monitors, including those from the European Union and the United Nations, declined the government’s invitation to observe the election, fearing their presence might be used to endorse Yameen’s re-election even after possible vote rigging.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2018